A MAJOR search is underway for a missing 51-year-old woman along the banks for the river Eden in Carlisle.

Multiple police cars, including police dogs, a helicopter, plus two fire engines from Carlisle East and West, and another two fire engines from Penrith all assisted in the search on Monday night.

Police say Janet McElrone was last seen in the Etterby area of the city today (Monday, December 23) at 6.30am.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "She is described as a white female with shoulder-length blonde hair, 5ft 3 inches tall and of medium build."

A spokesman from Carlisle West Fire Station added crews were called out to help find the missing woman at Carlisle Cricket Club at 6.30pm, but were later stood down at about 10pm.

He added: "We started off using the cricket club car park as a rendezvous point, then searched upstream and downstream from Eden Bridge.

"We worked from the suspension bridge to Eden Bridge, then down to where the Caldew and Eden meet, and searched the riverbanks.

"The search lasted about three and a half hours, and has stopped for the night."

Janet still remains missing.

Anyone who has any information about Janet's whereabouts should call 101.