SEARCHES for a teenager who has been missing since Tuesday are continuing.

As reported, hundreds of people have scouring the Purbeck area and beyond in the hope of finding 19-year-old Gaia Pope.

‘Missing person’ leaflets with Gaia’s picture on have also been taped to lampposts, pinned to noticeboards and left in shops and community halls around the county, and new images of the teenager have been shared on social media.

Gaia lives in Langton Matravers, but was last seen at an address in Manor Gardens on Morrison Road in Swanage, where she had been staying, at around 4pm on Tuesday.

Police believe she was wearing a red checked shirt with white buttons, grey and white woven leggings and white trainers.

She has epilepsy, which causes her to suffer seizures, and it is not known if she has her medication with her.

She also does not have her phone with her.

Detectives searching for Gaia say they are “very concerned” for her welfare.

Cousin Marienna Pope-Weidemann said Gaia’s epilepsy is “severe”.

“We have had absolutely no information about her since she went missing,” she said.

“Her condition is very severe, she usually has seizures every day and during the night.

“Sometimes they are small and perfectly manageable, sometimes we have to call the paramedics and she requires emergency hospital treatment.”

She thanked emergency services, members of the public who have joined the search and representatives from the Purbeck Gazette, who have printed 10,000 posters.

“Everyone has been absolutely amazing,” she said.

Appealing directly to Gaia to get in touch with her family, Marienna said: “Gaia, if you’re able to make contact with any of us or the police, please do it.

“We just desperately need to know that you are OK, that you are safe.”

Coastguards searched the Purbeck coast earlier in the week the day after Gaia went missing.

Swanage Coastguard Rescue Team warned that members of the public who conduct their own searches of the coast should “take great care” and stay away from cliff edges.

“Nobody wants to see further missing persons or injuries, etc as a result of searching unfamiliar terrain in the dark”, a team spokesman said.

Anyone with information about Gaia’s whereabouts is asked to call 101, quoting incident number 7:311.