THE family of a missing Galashiels woman has described this past week as a 'living nightmare'.

Melita Hachey hasn't been seen or heard from since last Friday in Livingstone Place.

It was thought that she had been in the Leaderfoot area near Melrose later that night.

And a full-scale search was mounted along the swollen Tweed during the early hours of Saturday.

Melita is described as white, around five-foot-five with a slim build and shoulder-length brown hair styled in a bob.

When last seen she was wearing a dark coloured parka style jacket with a fur trimmed hood, blue jeans and white trainers.

In a statement released through Police Scotland, Melita’s family said: “The last week has been a living nightmare.

“We just want Melita to be with her family, safe.

“Melita, if you are reading this, we need you to know how deeply loved you are, we are lost without you and desperately need you back with us.

"Nothing matters more than that and our arms are open waiting for you to be with us.”

Despite several appeals this week, police have still been unable to trace the 30-year-old or establish why she travelled to Leaderfoot last Friday.

Officers are appealing to motorists and anyone who was in that area to think back and consider if they saw Melita.

Anyone with information is asked to contact officers via 101 at Galashiels Police Station, quoting incident number 640 of February 22.