MISSING North-East prostitute Kellie Pratt was urged last night to get in touch with her two young sons.

The appeal was made as detectives from Norfolk held a press conference in Kellie's home city of Newcastle yesterday.

The 28-year-old went missing nine weeks ago in Norwich's red light district where she had been working.

Detective Chief Inspector Bill Goreham said Kellie's ex-husband had been in touch to say her boys, aged nine and five, had seen publicity surrounding the case and were asking questions about their mother.

Mr Goreham said the disappearance was still being treated as a missing persons inquiry, but they could not rule out suspicious circumstances.

Four or five supposed sightings of Kellie in Newcastle have come to nothing, but police believe she could be hiding in the area.

Her aunt, Violet Battiste, said family in the North-East and Great Yarmouth were "extremely worried" and starting to fear the worst.