A missing pensioner has been found alive in woodland after a huge search and rescue mission involving 100 people and specially trained dogs.

Kent Search & Rescue (KSAR) and Kent Police found 68-year-old Katherine Rowsell in Joyden’s Wood, Swanley, yesterday evening where they believe she had been lost for three nights.

The woman was reported missing from the Birchwood Road area of Swanley on Saturday and extensive searches were carried out on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

At about 9pm yesterday she was located by a search team in Joyden's Wood.

She was alive but was suffering the effects of having been out in the unusually hot weather.

Stewart Baird, search manager for KSAR, said: “Ms Rowsell was located by a search team on Tuesday evening. She was found alive but in a distressed state and was clearly suffering the effects of having being lost in dense woodland for three nights in unusually hot weather.

"A KSAR paramedic treated her at the scene and she was transferred to hospital where she is in a stable condition."

“This was an extremely difficult search over many days and nights. With temperatures well above 30 degrees, the search teams were working in very difficult conditions. Very warm weather can have as serious consequences to a casualty as severe cold weather and we are grateful to have found her."

About 100 police officers and KSAR volunteers were involved in the search and dogs from National Search & Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA), which has a team based in Kent, were called in.

A police spokesman thanked everyone who assisted in the search.

KSAR is manned entirely by volunteers and is funded solely from donations.

Find out more here.