MPs have appealed for help in tracing a pensioner who went missing more than five years ago.

Cathryn Holdsworth was aged 72 when she disappeared from Illingworth, Calderdale. She also has links to Brighouse, where she lived for a number of years and owns a property.

Ms Holdsworth lived alone and is 5ft 2ins tall, of medium build, with very short, speckled grey hair, MPs were told.

Labour MP Holly Lynch said the last confirmed sighting of Ms Holdsworth was captured on CCTV on September 9, 2017 as she entered the Tesco store in Halifax town centre.

Ms Lynch, who represents Halifax, explained during a debate in Westminster Hall: “Police know that she used a bus pass to head towards home.

“CCTV from the bus was unavailable, so could not confirm exactly where Cathryn got off the bus. However, it is assumed that she reached home because her coat, ear muffs and walking frame that she was using in the CCTV footage were found inside her property.

“In the following days, Cathryn’s neighbours were asked to take delivery of a parcel for Cathryn when a delivery driver could not get an answer at her address.

“The neighbours grew increasingly concerned when they could not reach Cathryn over a number of days. They officially reported her missing to the police on September 19, 2017.

“That leaves a window of 10 days in which Cathryn could have gone missing.

“I spoke to Cathryn’s neighbours ahead of this debate today and they gave me a strong sense of a woman who was vulnerable. She had had falls in the house previously and often wore an alarm around her neck to alert help if she needed it.

“They felt it was highly unlikely that she would have left the house without the aid of her walking frame, which was still inside the house.

“Police have undertaken extensive work to search her home address and the surrounding area for any signs of Cathryn, but it has not provided any answers.

“There have been public appeals for information, including social media campaigns, as well as bank, phone and CCTV inquiries, which have generated some lines of inquiry but ultimately no conclusions.

“Cathryn is understood to have had links to Blackpool and Cornwall, and appeals for information have been shared in those areas. She also has links to Brighouse in the neighbouring constituency to Halifax, where she lived for a number of years and owns a property.”

Ms Lynch said she spoke to officers involved in the case and is “satisfied that all lines of inquiry have been and are being investigated”.

She added: “It falls to me to say that if people have further information they would like to share with the police, I urge them to call 101 and ask to speak to Calderdale CID or to email calderdale.npt@westyorkshire.police.uk.

“I urge everybody to take part in sharing information about this campaign in the hope that we can finally shed some light on what has happened to Cathryn.”

Home Office minister Chris Philp echoed the call for anyone with information to come forward.

He said: “West Yorkshire Police have been very energetically trying to identify where Cathryn may be, but have so far been unable to locate her, in what is clearly a very distressing case.”

Mr Philp added: “If anyone in West Yorkshire, Halifax or anywhere more widely has information about Cathryn or any missing people — the vast majority are found within 28 days, but there are people who are not found and are still missing — they should contact the police or, if they want to do it anonymously, Crimestoppers.”