THE husband of a missing Suffolk teacher who has vanished with her elderly mother spoke of his concern for their welfare last night. Josephine McGuire, 53, left her home in Holton, near Halesworth, on Sunday and travelled to Great Yarmouth where she picked up her mother, 88-year-old Doris Slatter, from hospital for a day out.

THE husband of a missing Suffolk teacher who has vanished with her elderly mother spoke of his concern for their welfare last night.

Josephine McGuire, 53, left her home in Holton, near Halesworth, on Sunday and travelled to Great Yarmouth where she picked up her mother, 88-year-old Doris Slatter, from hospital for a day out.

But they have not been in contact with home since and last night her husband, Gavin, spoke of his fears for their safety - urging them to return.

It also emerged last night they had been seen more than 100 miles away in the Milton Keynes area, but their exact whereabouts remained a mystery.

Mr McGuire, also a teacher, said his wife was meant to return with her mother for their local church service at about 10.30am on Sunday - but he had not seen them since.

He said he was very worried about his wife, a teacher at a Lowestoft middle school, who has been suffering from depression, and her mother, who has Alzheimer's.

Police have been searching places Mrs McGuire knows, including north Norfolk, as well as looking for the red Ford Fiesta, registration P636 AFT, she was driving.

Officers earlier believed the pair may have visited a church in Norfolk instead of returning to Holton but last night it emerged they had visited church friends in Milton Keynes. However, they have since moved on and their whereabouts remains a mystery.

Mr McGuire said last night: "I am very worried because it is very out of character."

He told BBC News: "She has been very depressed. It's very out of character to do something like this, especially not to contact me."

Sgt Simon Price, from Suffolk police, said: "We have spoken to someone in Milton Keynes now who has seen them. We are having lots of phone calls coming in.

"Mr and Mrs McGuire are very religious and part of a very close church community, with a close network of friends in Halesworth. They used to live in the Milton Keynes area.

"Our new line of enquiry is that they may have gone from there to another friend."

He added: "Bearing in mind she has driven from Great Yarmouth to Milton Keynes they could be anywhere."

He said he was concerned to locate the pair as soon as possible so Mrs Slatter could be returned to hospital for her medication.

Mrs McGuire is described as white, about 5ft 6in tall, of proportionate build, with collar length straight brown hair.

She wears glasses and, at the time she was last seen, was wearing dark blue slacks and a blue top.

Mrs Slatter is also white, and about 5ft 6in tall. She is of medium build, has white hair, and was wearing a white dress with orange, pink and yellow flowers on, and a peach cardigan.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the two women, or may have seen the car, is asked to contact police on 01986 835300.