'We hoped she would come home for Christmas'

Families with missing loved ones have spoken about their heartache over the festive season.

Andrea Gharsallah's then-30-year-old daughter Georgina was last seen in Worthing, West Sussex, on 7 March 2018, leaving behind her two young children.

For years after her disappearance, the family would lay a place for Georgina at the table on Christmas Day and buy her presents just in case she came back, Ms Gharsallah told the BBC.

She said Georgina's absence hit hardest during the festive season, especially for her now-teenage children who see friends with their parents.

"You are more aware... someone in your family is missing and they should be here," the 62-year-old added.

Years after Georgina went missing Ms Gharsallah said the family would spend Christmas Day anticipating a knock on the door or a car pulling up, as they thought it was the perfect time for her to come back because nobody would ask any questions.

But they eventually stopped including her in the festivities as it rubbed "salt in the wound".

"I suppose I lost some hope," she added.

The investigation by Sussex Police into Georgina's disappearance remains open. Officers began a murder inquiry in August 2019.

"We are trying to keep Georgina's story out there so she does not get forgotten," said Ms Gharsallah.

Martha McBrier, from the Missing People charity, said people with missing loved ones might experience mental health issues because of "ambiguous loss", where someone is absent without a definitive answer why - something she said is exacerbated over Christmas.

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"It's not like a bereavement where you can... over time come to terms with that loss," she told the BBC. "The pain of someone being missing is as raw as the day that it happened, even if that person's been missing years."

"The pain just piles on itself," Ms McBrier added.

While each family has a different coping strategy, she urged people not to feel guilty if they have a nice time over Christmas while their loved ones are away.

"There are lots of ways... to hold them in your heart," she said. "You don't need to forget the rest of your life."

Mohamed Mohamed-Ali's wife Fatima vanished without a trace from Newhaven, East Sussex, two days before Valentine's Day in 2016.

The 66-year-old said he was "absolutely devastated" by her absence at Christmas, with their once lively family home where they raised children still and silent over the festive period.

Nearly nine years since her disappearance, Mr Mohamed-Ali said he was still trying to stay positive - although he seldom attends celebrations or social occasions.

"I'm just hoping someday before I go to my grave, somebody might come with some clue or they'll find something," he told the BBC.

"At least I'll get my closure."

Anyone with any information about Georgina Gharsallah or Fatima Mohamed-Ali can contact Sussex Police or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously.

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