Mackenzie Crook, famous for his roles in The Office and Detectorists, has appealed to the public for help in trying to find his 62-year-old sister-in-law Laurel Aldridge, who was last seen on Tuesday.

The actor, 51, said that his family were “really worried” about Ms Aldridge, who he described as a “wonderful mother” who was “usually very happy”.

She failed to turn up at a chemotherapy session on Tuesday and has not been seen or been in contact with her family since then.

“It’s incredibly difficult. She is in quite a vulnerable position at the moment,” he told BBC Radio Sussex. Ms Aldridge lives in the the Walberton area, near Arundel, West Sussex.

“She missed a chemotherapy session on Tuesday, so we’re really worried about her.

“There were reported possible sightings of her as far north as Bignor Hill, but we’ve discounted those and we think she is very much in the local Walberton area.”

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Crook told ITV that his sister-in-law’s disappearance was “very out of character”. Extensive searches are taking place and the actor urged people to look in their gardens and other places where she may have sought refuge.

“She left her house early Tuesday morning and she’s not been seen since,” he said. “That’s in the Walberton area where a lot of people are looking in the local woodlands along the roads and stuff like that.

“I’d really like to appeal to people to go out into their back gardens and have a look in places where she she might have taken rest. She’s been missing out for three nights – we’re entering the fourth one now [so], we’re obviously really worried.

“If I could appeal to everyone,” he added, “even if they checked before, check again in likely places where she might have crept in to lay down for the night.”

He said that Ms Aldridge was last seen wearing a bright blue fleece with a grey coat over the top, a brown woolly hat, a turtle scarf and black trousers.

Sussex Police tweeted on Wednesday that it was “growing increasingly concerned” about Ms Aldridge, adding that she “may have travelled as far north as Bignor Hill”.

“We’re urging anyone who sees her to please call 999 quoting 347 of 14/02,” the force said.