A murder investigation has been launched more than five months after a 74-year-old woman disappeared, police have said.

Bedfordshire Police believe Annette Smith has not been seen since November.

Ms Smith, from West Wing, Fairfield Park, near Stotfold, was last seen wearing a black and white striped cardigan and red leather slip-on shoes, the force said.

She was carrying a suitcase and is thought to have got into a navy blue or black estate car with another woman, the force added.

Ms Smith was reported missing from the Stotfold area and police are now appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Dale Mepstead, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “We have been carrying out thorough inquiries into Annette’s disappearance and based on the information that we have, we are now treating this as a murder investigation.

“We believe that Annette was last seen on or around November 11 2023.

“We are appealing for anyone who may have spoken with or seen Annette in early November to contact us, as well as anyone who may have any information about her.”

The force asked anyone with information to contact police on 101 and quote Operation Broome.