A MISSING woman has been found after a major search operation on Chesil Beach yesterday.

Police and coastguard teams joined forces to hunt for the woman who drove to Dorset from Surrey and left her vehicle at the Chesil Beach car park off Portland Beach Road this afternoon.

The woman, said to be in her 40s and from Cranleigh, Surrey, was found by Dorset Police late yesterday evening, when she returned to the car.

Teams combed the coastline and surrounding area for the woman, who was said to be in an upset state.

Onlookers reported seeing emergency service vehicles at the beach car park and the Dorset Police helicopter hovering overhead. Units from Portland Bill Coastguard Rescue Team supported Dorset Police in the operation.

Speaking at the scene when the search was first launched, Sergeant Jon Wren of Dorset Police said: “We are trying to locate an individual.

“We were notified of a vehicle coming into Dorset by Surrey Police. Surrey Police have reason to be concerned for her welfare.

“The vehicle is parked at Chesil Beach car park at the moment.

“We were able to see the vehicle had entered the county by camera footage. We are trying to locate her. It might be simply a trip to the beach but we will now conduct a search for the individual and check she is okay.”

The search went on throughout the afternoon with teams looking around the beach, the Fleet in Weymouth and places on Portland including Chiswell Cove. Coastguards were stood down in the afternooon but police investigations went on into the evening.

The woman’s husband travelled to the scene.

She was found just beofre 9pm at the Chesil Beach Car Park, and a spokesman for Dorset Police said: "The missing woman was found safe and well at 8.50pm on Thursday, June 12.

"There was no concern for her safety when she arrived."

Inspector Bob Jacobs of Dorset Police said later in the afternoon: “We know the woman is upset about something and we are liaising with her family in Surrey at the moment.

“Her husband is on the way down to the area. Her vehicle is still parked at Chesil Beach car park and hopefully she will soon return to it soon.”

A spokesman for Surrey Police said: "Surrey Police officers were liaising with colleagues in Dorset Police as part of on-going enquiries to locate a missing woman from the Cranleigh area.

"The woman, who is believed to be in her forties, was reported missing at around 10am yesterday.

"As part of extensive efforts to trace the woman and ensure she is safe and well officers from Surrey Police requested that colleagues from Dorset searched an area of land between Weymouth and Portland."