A SEARCH of the Thames and its tributary rivers yesterday failed to find any sign of missing Oxford woman Emily Stiff.

Three police officers on board a dinghy scoured the waterways between Osney and Donnington bridge for most of yesterday, 16 days after the 22-year-old was last seen in West Oxford.

Miss Stiff was known to like to walk along the riverbank and police said the search was carried out as a normal part of their missing persons inquiry rather than because of specific information.

Det Insp John Turner, from Oxford CID, added: “Today’s search forms part of inquiries to find Emily who has been missing since February 24.

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“This search is one of a number of inquiries officers have been conducting as part of this missing person investigation. Emily’s family is aware of the search activities and will be kept updated.”

As the officers took to the water, Miss Stiff ’s family, from Riverside Road, West Oxford, said: “We are very grateful to Thames Valley Police for all their support.

“They have made strenuous efforts to return Emily safely to us and we are confident that every avenue is being explored.”

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Emily Stiff.

After the Specialist Search and Recovery Team finished yesterday at about 4.30pm, police spokeswoman Hannah Williams said: “Today’s search has concluded and proved inconclusive.

“Officers are continuing with inquiries in relation to this missing person investigation.”

A fisherman saw the search boat from the bank near the Botley Road bridge.

He said: “I hope they won’t find anything untoward.

“I thought it was a bit strange the way they were looking towards the undergrowth.

“This is a huge river and it’s quite deep as well.

“It’s flowing very fast at the moment because they have opened all the locks to ease the pressure of water.

“You would of thought if there was anything in the water it would get caught up in the locks and weirs somewhere along the line.”

Miss Stiff is described as white, slim, approximately 5ft 4ins and has brown shoulder-length hair.

She was last seen she was wearing a red jumper, a dark chequered skirt and black tights.

Police first appealed to the public for help two days after she went missing.

At the time of her disappearance they said she was known to frequent libraries in London and Oxford city centre.

She is a former pupil of North Hinksey Primary School and Oxford High School, and Maria Gara, a spokeswoman at the secondary school, said: “Emily left us in 2010 and her sister Lucy left a year later.

“We are very conscious that several of our older pupils did know her and Lucy. We have been quite sensitive with the girls who know them. Our thoughts have been with the family because it’s such a sad situation.

“Our role is to support the family and support our pupils.”

When she left school Miss Stiff went to University College London to study English Literature.

She was active in the university’s extra-curricular societies, becoming the news editor of the student magazine Pi in 2012 and the publicity officer for the university’s debating society.

Last year she played Caesario in a Jacobean-style production of Samuel Daniel’s drama The Tragedie of Cleopatra at the university’s Festival of the Arts.

It is believed that Miss Stiff had recently moved back to Botley and started commuting to university.