A MAJOR search and rescue operation has been carried out after a woman went missing in the early hours of yesterday morning.

It is believed that Sabrina Boulenouar has links to the Southampton area and officers are keen to trace the 33-year-old.

Police, Coastguard and Search and Rescue teams scoured 100 acres of woodland and combed the shoreline until the search was called off at 5.30pm on New Year's Day due to failing light.

Ms Boulenouar, was last seen at home in Poole Road, Upton, in Dorset before her disappearance.

She is described as white, 5ft 6ins tall and with a shaved head.

Dorset Police said Sabrina was wearing a grey jumper, black leggings and black-rimmed glasses when she went missing.

A police spokesman said that the scale of the search was due to the weather and the risk of self-harm by the woman.

The search was resumed at daylight this morning.

Inspector Kevin Lansdale, of Dorset Police, said: "Dorset Police have been conducting searches in connection with the missing person.

"We have called in expert assistance for the search. At the moment we're concentrating our efforts around Upton Country Park and we have assistance from DORSAR and Coastguard teams. "

Because the country park covers such a wide area, Coastguards are searching along the shoreline and the water itself.

"These are not the only enquiries that we're carrying out in connection with the missing person."

He said that detailed searches began at the park at around midday but police officers and the force helicopter had been involved earlier in the day.

A dog walker said search teams had given her a description of the missing woman and asked her to call 999 if she saw her.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, added: “I haven’t seen her, but I hope she is all right.”

Coastguard teams from Poole and Kimmeridge were involved in the search and a muster station was set up to allow search teams to get hot drinks in the stormy weather conditions.

A volunteer crew from Poole Inshore Lifeboat was also involved in a search of Holes Bay and shorelines.

Anyone with information should call Dorset police on 01202 222222, quoting incident 325 of January 1.