THE distraught dad of missing Sarah Wellgreen broke down in tears when he heard she could have been murdered — as family and friends today said the "loving" mum would never miss her child's birthday.

The 46-year-old vanished in New Ash Green, Kent, on October 9 when CCTV at her home was reportedly switched off.

Detectives investigating the mum-of-five's disappearance are treating her case as a potential murder after she missed her son's birthday.

Sarah's uncle today revealed that her father Anthony Wellgreen wept when he was told murder cops are now probing the case.

Bus driver Keith Wellgreen said he is "absolutely gutted" about her disappearance.

The 60-year-old from Fareham, Hants, said: "When I spoke to Anthony at the weekend I couldn't understand a word he was saying because he had burst into tears — I've never seen or heard him cry before."

He added: "I find it very upsetting - you just never think it is going to happen to a member of your own family.

"I might not have seen Sarah often, but she's still my niece and I'm absolutely gutted.

And today family friend Salvador Gomez Pomar, 21, described his pain as cops continue to scour woodland four miles away near Dartford.

Salvador, who was taken in by Sarah for two years when his family moved back to their native Spain, said she treated him as "one more of her kids".

Speaking to The Sun Online, he said he felt "shocked" when he heard of her disappearance, adding: "(I'm) trying to keep myself busy and trying to keep my mind off it because it hurts".

Distraught scaffolder Salvador insisted Sarah would "never" miss one of her children's birthdays.

He spoke with her last month when she was planning her son's 13th birthday — which took place while she has been missing.

Salvador said: "She was planning his birthday and a holiday with my aunt."

He added that Sarah was "always" making plans with her friends and family — saying: "Since I met her she has always had plans for the future.

"She was exited for (the birthday party).

"She was going to have all the kids around at my aunt's and have a meal.

"Then they were going with (her son) and some of his friends to Gravity" — a trampoline park at Bluewater shopping centre in Stone, Kent.

Uncle Keith also revealed that Sarah would not have missed her child's birthday on purpose.

He said: "I know damn well Sarah loves her kids and wouldn't have missed a birthday on purpose.

"I've seen lots of pictures on Facebook of them all on holiday together having a good time, so it's all very strange.

"I still hope she's alive - and if she is alive somewhere, I really hope she gets in contact with the family soon."

Asked if there was any reason why she would miss the birthday, Salvador added: "None at all.

"If one of us needed her she would drive to us in a heartbeat."

Yesterday Kent police described Sarah's disappearance as "totally out of character".

Det Supt Paul Fotheringham said: "She'd just had a new job offer she was looking forward to.

"She has spoken to friends about looking forward to the future and, most significantly, she has now missed one of her children's birthdays."

Meanwhile, the "high profile" search area has today been extended to parts of Dartfourd town centre.

Search teams are scouring areas of bushes and undergrowth as well as bins in different locations in the town centre - eight miles from Sarah's home in New Ash Green.

And Sarah's eldest son has also been in contact with volunteers to tell them he "just wants his mum home".

Sharon Brine, who is coordinating searches, said Sarah's son Lewis, 22, had been in touch from his home in Portsmouth.

Ms Brine said: “We want to find her and get closure for her children. That’s the only reason we’re carrying on.

“Lewis is absolutely beside himself, saying he just wants his mum home.

“I’m heartbroken for the kids. This is what’s driving us.”

Cops have instructed the volunteer search party to look out for her missing black iPhone 4 — the only item Sarah took with her when she vanished.

Hundreds of friends, family and concerned locals took part in searches at the weekend but have so far found nothing of note.

Some drafted in drone cameras to conduct searches from the air while others have donated 4x4s to cover rough terrain.

Ms Brine added: "The whole public have been asked to get in touch if they were travelling in a five-mile radius overnight.

"We’ve found lots of stuff - clothes, flip-flops, shoes. And we’ve found an axe, but everything has been discarded by police.”

Earlier today the father of Sarah's ex-partner Ben Lacomba insisted his son "hasn't done anything wrong".

Mr Lacomba, 38, was arrested and held for three days before being released pending further investigation.

He and Sarah, who have three children together, had lived at the New Ash Green home but recently separated.

Today taxi driver Ben's dad Juan, who lives nearby, said: "My son hasn’t done anything wrong.

He told The Sun Online:“I don’t know what’s happened to Sarah.

“You can only imagine what it’s been like for their little children."

Last night The Sun Online revealed that Sarah had told her ex-husband that she wanted to get married to a mystery man just weeks before she vanished.

Peter Symons, 54, said Sarah was "madly in love" with a man in Portsmouth — and may have been living with him.

He said: "I know that she had a new boyfriend in Portsmouth who she was madly in love with and wanted to get married to.

"I haven't got a clue who he is — all I know is that she had connections in Portsmouth."

Peter and Sarah met in Portsmouth and married in 1989 but split a year later after moving to Oxfordshire.

They remained friends however — and kept in touch on Facebook.

Peter's claims came as Sarah's former boyfriend Neil James revealed he had spoken with her on the phone on the night that she vanished — the last contact she is known to have had with anyone.

Neil, of Farnham, Surrey, told MailOnline: "On the Tuesday night I spoke to Sarah on the phone at 9.24pm, the conversation went on for about 15 minutes.

"She said she was at home and she was in bed.

"Every night Sarah and I would speak and every morning either she or I would say 'morning honey' and text and that would normally be before 8am.

"On Wednesday morning I texted her about 7.50am 'morning honey, how's you?', that sort of thing, and it didn't deliver."

He said at first he "didn't think anything of it" but panicked later when he couldn't get through, finally calling her children and then the police.

Neil revealed they had split up in the summer and she began internet dating and seeing other men, but kept in contact with him.

Cops were joined by more than 200 volunteers and have been scouring woods near the home she shares with her ex-partner Ben and their three children — six-year-old twins and a 12-year-old son.

Sarah, who also has two older sons — Lewis Burdett, 22, and Jack, 21 — still worked in Portsmouth and is said to have spent time in Surrey, where colleagues believe she had found a new man through online dating.

Sarah's uncle claimed that Sarah could have a new lover, saying she could have travelled abroad after starting a new relationship with a toyboy.

Ronald Wellgreen, 61, revealed he had been contacted by a man from Farnborough last week claiming to have been in a relationship with Sarah.

But Sarah, who ran a beauty therapy business, had reportedly told him in June she was seeing someone new and was no longer with him.

He said: "He said they were messaging each other every day until she went missing - and he hasn't heard from her since.

"I remember her telling me in June that she and this man in Farnborough weren't together anymore, but he seemed to think they were still in a relationship."

Her distraught family have been appealing for information after it was revealed her car was left outside her home and she has not used her phone or bank card since she vanished.

On Wednesday dad Anthony Wellgreen, 67, said: “I don’t understand it at all. It’s not in her character to disappear like this.

“Nothing like this has ever happened before. We are all so worried. Two weeks is a long time to be away.”

DSI Fotheringham said: "We have experts with specialist technology and forensic scientists working with us to try and find Sarah.

"We are particularly interested to hear from anyone with fixed CCTV cameras within a five mile radius of New Ash Green, whether this is residential or commercial CCTV to come forward.

"Likewise, anyone who was out on the evening of the 9 October to the morning of 10 October in that five mile area who has dashcam in their vehicle, please contact us.

"We are also appealing to those living and working in the area bordered by the A2, M25, Meopham, Cobham, Horton Kirby and Darenth to check their sheds, outbuildings and areas of rough ground or woodland for any sign of Sarah."

Sarah and Nerf gun enthusiast Ben split up following the birth of the twins but six months ago she moved back in with the cabbie.

If anyone has any information please call Kent Police on 0207 158 0011, Freephone 0800 056 0154 quoting 11-0423 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.