Samantha Eastwood: Sister of missing midwife makes tearful appeal after neighbours 'hear scream' on day of disappearance

'If she's out there, or anyone knows where she is, please get in touch. Get her home'

The sister of a missing midwife has made a tearful appeal for help with tracing her, saying: “We need you home where you belong.”

Samantha Eastwood disappeared after leaving work on Friday 27 July. She was last seen in uniform driving away from Royal Stoke University Hospital at 7.47am.

The alarm was raised by colleagues when she failed to show up for her shift later the same evening.

Her sister Gemma said the missing 28-year-old was “a happy, bubbly and smiley woman”, as she appealed for any information about her “best friend and partner in crime”.

“Without her, half of me has gone,” she said. “If she’s out there, or anyone knows where she is, please get in touch. Get her home.”

A 32-year-old Stoke man was arrested in connection with the disappearance but has since been released under investigation, Staffordshire Police said.

Detective superintendent Simon Duffy, who is leading the investigation, said police were also seeking Samantha’s missing purse.

He added: “The only item of property that we can see is missing is a fairly distinctive purse and we’ll get details of that circulated.

“So hopefully we can get images of that purse out, just in case anyone has discovered that in any location since the last positive sighting of Samantha, or something similar.

“We’d be very keen on hearing that information.”

On Wednesday, Staffordshire Police released CCTV of Ms Eastwood leaving work. It is hoped releasing the footage may jog memories, and help lead police to Ms Eastwood.

Several locations have been searched and the public are urged to report any sightings of vehicles parked in “strange locations”, isolated areas or lay-bys.

Detectives have also said Ms Eastwood left her bank cards at home and is believed to have “no access to money”.

Her car was found parked on the driveway at her house.

Mr Duffy said reports of a scream heard by neighbours near her home about 2pm on Friday form ”part of one of a number of theories and ongoing investigations”, adding he was unable to comment further.

He described Ms Eastwood as appearing “jovial and happy” when she left work on Friday morning.

He added that she had been in a relationship and engaged, but it had been broken off earlier in the year and she is currently single and living alone.

Ms Eastwood is described as white, approximately 5ft 3in, of medium build, with shoulder-length ginger hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion with freckles.

She has worked as a midwife for six years, with chief nurse at the Royal Stoke, Liz Rix, describing her colleague as a “much-loved and valued” staff member.

North Yorkshire Police has also shared the appeal as Ms Eastwood had holidayed in Whitby earlier in the year.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact police.

Additional reporting by PA