Katherine Watson, a hospital chaplain from Newcastle, has been reported missing sparking a desperate search from Northumbria Police.

The force said the 50-year-old, who works as head of chaplaincy at a Newcastle NHS trust and was featured in the Channel 4 series Geordie Hospital, was last seen in the Heaton Road area of Newcastle at about 1pm on Thursday (September 19).

She was wearing a green hat, a backpack, dark trousers and a dark hooded top. She has a number of tattoos on her arms and a military tattoo on her chest.

The police said she had links to Heaton and Jesmond in Newcastle but could have travelled further afield.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Extensive searches have been ongoing to locate Katherine, and police are now appealing to the public for information on her whereabouts to ensure she is safe and well." They added that officers and her family had grown "increasingly concerned for her welfare".

Katherine appeared on Geordie Hospital in 2022. The show followed the work of NHS staff in Newcastle's hospitals and displayed Katie's work as a chaplain at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and Freeman Hospital.

A doctor who worked with her shared a message on social media following her disappearance: "For many of us at Newcastle Hospitals she was our rock during the worst parts of the Covid pandemic."

Another person described her as an "amazing person" and a third said her kindness had "a profound effect on many, many lives".

The full statement from Northumbria Police reads: "Have you seen #Newcastle woman Katherine Watson? The 50-year-old was last seen in the Heaton Road area at around 1pm [on Thursday], and we're growing increasingly concerned for her welfare.

"Searches are ongoing to locate Katherine, who is described as a white woman, around 5ft 6ins in height, of slim build, with short light grey hair.

"Katherine was last seen wearing a green hat, a back pack, with dark trousers and a dark hooded top. She has a number of tattoos on her arms, as well as a military tattoo on her chest. She has links to the #Heaton and #Jesmond areas of #Newcastle - but could have travelled further afield.

"Any info? Please get in touch by sending us a direct message, using the live chat function or report forms on our website, or by calling 101 quoting reference: NP-20240919-0717."