BLOOD found in the home of missing York woman Mandy Bishop does belong to her, police have said.

The results of the forensic tests raise fears that Mandy suffered an injury of some kind and now needs medical attention.

Police have also appealed for a delivery driver seen in the area of Bishopgate Street, where Mandy lives, to come forward.

Mandy was reported missing from her home on Saturday, but police believe she vanished 12 days earlier. The 34-year-old is agoraphobic and had previously not left her home for 13 years. She also cared for her sick mother.

Detective Chief Inspector Helen Taylor, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “We are deeply concerned for Mandy’s safety, and our concern has increased even further now that we believe the blood that was found in the house belongs to her. Although Mandy has threatened self-harm in the past, we still very much believe her disappearance is out of character. Mandy is also the sole carer for her seriously ill mother, Valerie, and, as a big animal lover, she also looks after their four dogs.”

Following information that has come in to the investigation team, Det Chief Insp Taylor said she was also keen to hear from anyone who noticed any deliveries being made in the Bishopgate Street area between 1pm and 1.30pm on March 22.

She said: “Ideally we would really like to speak to any drivers or delivery companies that had jobs on or near Bishopgate Street on March 22.

“If not the drivers themselves, then we urge anyone who recalls seeing any deliveries to come forward to help.”

Yesterday, frogmen with West Yorkshire Police’s Underwater Search Team were at the Bonding Warehouse next to Skeldergate Bridge.

Sgt Robert Cater, of the underwater team, said they had been asked to search an area from the Bonding Warehouse to a point 250 metres downstream on the warehouse side of the river. The seven-member team spent much of the day at the river, using compressed air piped to them from the surface.

Sgt Cater said the search was conducted mostly by touch because of the very poor visibility in the river, which at points was around six metres deep.

Anyone who has information about Mandy’s whereabouts should phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.