UK UK - Alice Byrne, 28, last seen around 2am after beach party, Portobello, Edinburgh, 1 Jan 2022

[Highlander1314]

I noticed in the Sun article I posted above it said she was a care worker.

Anyone come across any reference to what line she was in?

Don’t forget she’s known as Alice, her forename is Alathea.

 

[Doughy]

So would it be more likely she would work with the elderly, than say, perhaps ex-offenders, on probation, or those with drug or mental health issues, settling in community, that kind of thing? Or is it not known?

Yes. That would be right.

 

[Highlander1314]

Local Streets of Portobello In Connection To Marlborough Street.

Here’s a description of the Portobello streets, with a conclusion about Marlborough Street at the end. It’s a little longwinded but for those who don’t know Portobello, it should help with the understanding of how the streets work, in connection to Marlborough Street.

Please reference this with maps to give it perspective.

Portobello is the seaside town of Edinburgh. In old days the city rich from Edinburgh had beach villas near the seafront. The beach town, east of Edinburgh.

Portobello High Street is the main street which passes east-west, through Portobello. The High Street runs parallel with the beach. There are many small independent business shop fronts and apartments above the shops on both sides of the High Street.


Running south to north from the High Street toward the beach front are domestically populated roads, which have mixtures of beach villas, tenements (apartment buildings, 3 storeys high), the occasional church, old bingo hall (cinema). These roads are lined with the buildings and parked vehicles on either side. There is little access off them, even on foot once you are on them.

On the north-south roads, it means anyone has 2 directions of travel, either north (toward the sea) or south (toward the High Street). In Edinburgh itself, whenever someone says Portobello or Porty as the locals call it, the immediate association is to think ‘the beach’ or the ‘seaside’. As soon as there’s hot weather, the beach becomes very busy but mainly in specific areas or pockets.

To travel to the beach from the High Street, people use particular north-south roads to access these pockets. The roads used to do this have immediate entrance to the beach and are wider than others, these are Bath Street and Bellfield Street, the busiest parts of the beach.

The busiest is Bath Street with its local supermarket at the beginning (south) and many small friendly cafes at the beach (north) end. Bellfield Street popular because it has the local swimming baths there. These 2 streets are the chosen streets to access the beach by visitors to Portobello. Visitors can be considered anyone from as near Edinburgh city, anyone who wants an easy, relaxing time, away from the main bustle.

Other busy access points of beach are from the west, Kings Road and Westbank Street area. Toward the east, Pittville Street and John Street. These are used more by locals, than visitors. These streets have more space for walking, parking, and turning vehicles.

All other roads between these running north-south have much less through traffic, including Marlborough Street which is located between Bath Street and Bellfield Street.

Marlborough Street and neighbouring Regent Street are not used much at all by people or vehicles, except by who live on those streets. They do not have good transit access and are quite narrow. With vehicles parked on both street sides, there is only enough space for one vehicle to pass through a longish road without meeting another vehicle headon and nowhere to pass each other, they are avoided. Also, the other wider mentioned roads terminate directly onto the Promenade and beach itself.

From the High Street it’s quite easy to see how narrow these particular avoided streets are. Even the pavement sidewalks are narrow. People disperse around Marlborough Street, not through it.

This means anyone walking on foot along Marlborough Street will usually stand out and is unlikely to be missed by CCTV. Marlborough Street does not attract mass crowds or so many outsider visitors who would be en route to somewhere else, in the same way as people are drawn to transit through Bath Street. At either end of Marlborough Street is Straiton Place or Portobello High Street, where there will be more CCTV.

Written to give a little perspective of Portobello and it’s streets.

JMO.

 

[JennyJukes]

So would it be more likely she would work with the elderly, than say, perhaps ex-offenders, on probation, or those with drug or mental health issues, settling in community, that kind of thing? Or is it not known?

It's hard to know really. She is registered under "Support Workers in Care at Home Service" and "Support Workers in a Housing Support Service". I had to register for both when I worked in people's homes; a mix of physically disabled and requiring physical care, learning disabilities, mental health issues, or just anyone that needed help budgeting, filling in forms, making calls on their behalf etc. I think it would also include hostel and homeless units. I did work with ex-offenders in that role, but they would also be 2 person visits and risk assessed. My colleague had an instance where an offender in a homeless unit followed her home from work and turned up at her door. My mum has the same registrations but she worked solely with elderly people; it was just in their own home.

I haven't worked in a care home but there seems to be a separate registration called "Support Workers in a Care Home Service for adult" which alice doesn't have. So she'll be working in peoples homes or units/hostels. They could be elderly people but it could be a mix bag too.

 

[jiminy]

Regarding Marlborough Street, I've walked it with the dog in daylight and, due to the way cars park half on the pavement and the lack of through traffic, I tend to just walk on the road. Just mentioning this cos if Alice did the same, I don't know if Ring cameras or the like would pick her up, given all the parked cars between her and any houses.

 

[Highlander1314]

Regarding Marlborough Street - I don't know if Ring cameras or the like would pick her up, given all the parked cars between her and any houses.

Yes, good point Jim, I’ve heard ring cameras aren’t reliable for grabbing CCTV street images, they’re mainly for doorways and many don’t record, only live feed.

Still leaves all the CCTV cameras which should record anyone walking.

This could be tested by Police Scotland doing a re-enactment runthrough. Staging possible ways of travel, with someone the same size and clothes as Alice, and see what the cameras do and don’t record.

 

[StillDiggin]

Missing woman Alice Byrne - update

Extensive enquiries have been carried out as part of our efforts to trace 28-year-old Alice Byrne, including house to house enquiries, CCTV reviews and detailed searches in the local area.

Alice was last seen leaving a friend’s flat in Marlborough Street, Edinburgh, on the morning of Saturday, 1 January, 2022, and walking towards the promenade and beach.

Our enquiries have subsequently indicated that Alice entered the water alone on the morning she went missing.

Efforts to trace her continue and officers are providing support and updates to Alice’s family.
Log into Facebook

 

[Highlander1314]

Police say that missing Portobello woman 'entered the water alone' the morning she went missing

“They now believe that she ‘entered the water alone’ that morning, and efforts are still ongoing to trace her.”

Missing Alice Byrne 'entered water alone' at beach on the morning she vanished

 

[Gers76]

Hmm just read the update on the police page. Seems very unfair that they are continuing to search for Alice but Dean Conner that also went missing around the same time, they are saying he is presumed dead after entering the water no further action will be taken to find him

 

[Highlander1314]

Granton is a harbour in Edinburgh, close to Portobello.

 

[Highlander1314]

Hmm just read the update on the police page. Seems very unfair that they are continuing to search for Alice but Dean Conner that also went missing around the same time, they are saying he is presumed dead after entering the water no further action will be taken to find him

Police helicopter was over the Forth today, this has been a rarity.

Dean’s case was ended 3 days ago. Alice’s case ended today.

It’s not a good result for either family.

 

[Gers76]

Yeah I know that but in Alice’s statement the police say they will continue to trace her, where as Dean that’s it unless they get any more evidence

 

[Doughy]

View attachment 333206

Granton is a harbour in Edinburgh, close to Portobello.

What's the link to Granton, sorry?

Edit - ah the tides on the 1st.

Yeah a few of us who were there on the morning of the 1st said the tide was out but it just means you have to walk out further I guess.

 

[Doughy]

Yeah I know that but in Alice’s statement the police say they will continue to trace her, where as Dean that’s it unless they get any more

2 different police forces I guess. (Edinburgh & East lothian) Both believe the same thing but have worded statements differently.

 

[Ruby12345]

I do wonder if they're assuming she went into the water or she was actually seen going in.

Dean's statement definitely sounds like assuming, after ruling out other possibilities.

 

[wallaby]

What's the link to Granton, sorry?

Edit - ah the tides on the 1st.

Yeah a few of us who were there on the morning of the 1st said the tide was out but it just means you have to walk out further I guess.

So looks tide was coming in from 7 until 1 pm that day?

 

[Highlander1314]

What's the link to Granton, sorry?

Edit - ah the tides on the 1st.

Yeah a few of us who were there on the morning of the 1st said the tide was out but it just means you have to walk out further I guess.

It was out and low, and since it was a fast cycle the tide would have been coming back in during the 8-10am.

 

[Highlander1314]

2 different police forces I guess. (Edinburgh & East lothian) Both believe the same thing but have worded statements differently.

Dean Conner from Musselburgh police station, East Lothian.
Alice Byrne from Craigmillar police station, Midlothian*

*should read, Craigmillar police station, Edinburgh


East Lothian and Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian are 4 different area commands, within the Lothian and Scottish Borders Division.

All overseen by Police Scotland, since 2013.
Different stations, 2 different area commands, same division and police force.

 

[Highlander1314]

With family statement

Edinburgh police give heartbreaking update on missing Alice Byrne

 

[Doughy]

Dean Conner from Musselburgh police station, East Lothian.
Alice Byrne from Craigmillar police station, Midlothian.

Both overseen by Police Scotland, since 2013.
Different stations, same police force.

Yeah sorry I meant different division not different force.

Craigmillar is edinburgh not Midlothian though; LA wise. It gets confusing cos Edinburgh is then classed as Midlothian as its county but they're 2 different LAs.