A Bradford woman feared she would never see her mother again after she disappeared without trace during a seaside holiday in the North West.

Police yesterday revealed that 50-year-old Linda Marie Whitaker, who had been missing from home for more than six months, has been found in Morecambe.

Today daughter Tracey Gale, of Lower Grange, told of the anguish the family had suffered as they waited for news of her mother's fate.

Mrs Whitaker disappeared after going to Morecambe for a long weekend in July. She later called to explain she had decided to stay at the Lancashire resort for longer.

But fears for her safety grew when Mrs Gale received an anonymous phone call from the Liverpool area during which the caller said: "You might want to contact the police about your mum because she is dead."

Police forces across the UK combed their records and contacted prisons and morgues in an effort to track down Mrs Whitaker.

And her family in Bradford rang round the resort's guest houses and hotels in their own desperate effort to trace her.

Today Mrs Gale said she was looking forward to being reunited with her mother after she was found by police at an address in Morecambe. Mrs Gale will travel with her sister and daughter, nine-year-old Demi, for an emotional reunion with her mum at the weekend. But she believes the police should have traced her sooner by checking social security payments.

"I am disgusted with the police," she said. "They told us she had not been claiming benefit, but now they tell us that she was. They could have done this check a long, long time ago. I have been put through hell for two months.

"Although I am really mad, I am really, really pleased that my mum is fine and I can't wait to tell my little girl when she comes home from school. She really thought her nan was dead. We never thought we would find her."

Mrs Gale, who is pictured with Demi, said she was convinced something had happened to her mum when her daughter's birthday and Christmas passed without any contact.

"Mum used to live with us a lot, but even when she didn't she would ring all the time and keep in touch with her grandchildren. When it got to Christmas and we still had not heard, then we really started worrying."

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said Mrs Whitaker had not been reported missing until December 9.

"We made repeat inquiries with hospitals and various other establishments, including shelter accommodation in the Bradford and Morecambe areas, and addresses she has previously been associated with were checked to try to trace her," he said.

"There are procedures we follow to try to trace missing people and these procedures were followed on this occasion."