Tip-off leads to search for missing woman

Gardaí investigating the disappearance of Offaly woman Fiona Pender over 11 years ago have begun to search an area on the Laois-Offaly border.

The search of the Slieve Bloom area began yesterday after a tip-off from a member of the public.

Fiona Pender was last seen at her flat in Tullamore at approximately 6am on August 23,1996.

The then 25-year-old was seven months pregnant at the time, and had spent the previous day shopping for baby clothes with her mother in Tullamore.

A major search was carried out at the time but found no trace of her whereabouts.