Sophie Smith: £5,000 reward offered for help finding missing young student
Concerned family, friends and members of the public have been conducting searches alongside the police
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Your support makes all the difference.A £5,000 reward has been offered to anyone who can help finding missing student Sophie Smith.
The 21-year-old went missing in the early hours of Boxing Day and hasn't been heard from since. Now a builder has offered the substantial reward in an attempt to gather information to help find her.
Concerned friends, family and member of the public are continuing to scour the Norfolk coast in hope of finding the missing student, alongside continuing police searches. Social media posts about the young woman have also received thousands of shares, as people attempt to help find her safely.
Police have said the student was suffering from depression and it is "most likely" that she has gone into the sea.
Sophie Smith did not have her phone with her and has not accessed her bank or social media accounts since leaving home.
She was believed to be wearing only a vest and shorts when she left her home in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, at around 3am on December 26.
Norfolk Police said further sea and coastline searches would take place on Friday.
The University of East Anglia student had been suffering from severe anxiety and depression and police believe the "most likely scenario" is she entered the sea at Gorleston.
Officers have sought expert analysis of tidal movement and will conduct sea and coastline searches accordingly.
Inspector Will Drummond said: "Sophie had been receiving treatment for depression and anxiety.
"Our inquiries have revealed there's been a degree of pre-planning to her disappearance and this, combined with her mental state and comments made the previous day, suggest the most likely scenario is that she has gone into the sea.
"The sea searches will be carried out by the coastguard while the police helicopter is being deployed to conduct coastline searches.
"Based on tidal analysis, the searches will be carried out in targeted areas."
Sophie went missing from her family home in Avondale Road at around 3am and was captured on CCTV heading towards the seafront a short time later.
Norfolk Police said there were no other confirmed sightings.
"Local CCTV footage has been examined but unfortunately Sophie is not captured on any other cameras," said Mr Drummond.
"She didn't take her mobile phone and hasn't accessed her bank accounts or social media accounts since leaving home.
"This is clearly a very distressing time for her family and we continue to keep them updated of ongoing work in this case."
Police earlier said that "the hope of finding Sophie safe and well diminishes as time goes on".
A Facebook page called Find Sophie Smith has gained more than tens of thousands of followers, and volunteers have helped co-ordinate their own searches.
Sophie is described as white, about 5ft 8in and slim with shoulder-length blonde hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call Norfolk Police on 101.
Additional reporting by agencies
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