A FULL scale police search for a missing 84-year-old woman ended when officers found her dining with the mayor at an Indian restaurant.

Police began a search for the woman, who has dementia, after she went missing from Avon Way, Shoebury, yesterday lunchtime.

Officers scoured the area and the police helicopter searched from above, however it soon transpired the lady had gone for lunch at the nearby Polash Indian restaurant in West Road.

There she dined with Southend Mayor Andrew Moring and his wife Louise and other members of the Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness Luncheon Club who invited her to join them after seeing her dining on her own.

Bryan Andrews, owner of Andrews Jewellers in Shoebury and luncheon secretary of the club, said: “When we went in there was this little old lady just sitting there on her own. I know all of the members and couldn’t place her. I then thought perhaps someone had dropped her off while they parked their car.

“I went over to her and she said she had come for lunch. I didn’t want to leave her sitting on her own and as our club secretary was unable to attend we had a spare seat but it was on the top table with the mayor and mayoress.”

He added: "It was a banquet and she had the full monty. She ate the lot. The mayoress was really lovely with her and chatted with her and looked after her. The thing was she was all dolled up. That was why I thought she was a guest.

“When we left there were all these police. They’d been looking for her and the helicopter had been up searching for her and there she was dining on the top table with the mayor and mayoress.”

Southend Mayoress, Louise Moring, said: "She was at the table when I arrived and I assumed she was guest but after about five minutes I was told she wasn’t.

“I tried to find out who she was and where she lived. We spoke about what we had been doing and when I told her about a visit to Buckingham Palace, she was very interested.

”We had absolutely no idea the police were looking for her.”

A police spokeswoman said: “Police were called shortly after 1pm with reports of an 84-year-old woman missing from Avon Way in Southend.

“The helicopter was dispatched to assist with an area search for the woman who was located safe and well locally shortly before 3.30pm."