Around a hundred people turned out to help in the search for a former EastEnders actress who has been missing for six days.

Friends and family, helped in the search for Gemma McCluskie, aged 29, of Bethnal Green, who played Kerry Skinner, a friend of character Zoe Slater and the great niece of the late Ethel Skinner, in 30 episodes of EastEnders back in 2001.

The search, organised by her cousins Kyri Sambridge and Nikki Tsindides threw up an “important” new clue about her whereabouts, and saw people hanging up missing person posters featuring Gemma all over the East End. They also distributed posters to shops and knocked on the doors of homes asking if anyone had spotted Gemma.

Her cousin Kyri, 27, said: “We got an important clue when we went into a kebab shop on Hackney Road, two minutes from where she lives. They told us she came in there at 8pm last Thursday.

“Until then the last time she had been seen was in the afternoon on the same day by her brother Tony at home.

“It is so unusual for her. She would never not let people know where she is and nobody has heard anything. We are worried sick and starting to fear the worst. We all love her and just want her to come home”

Teams of people covered areas as Hackney Road, where Gemma lives, Whitechapel, Shoreditch and even South London to spread the message further.

But this morning there has been complaints that Tower Hamlets Council have been taking down posters put up on Hackney Road.

Dave Smith, 26, a friend of the family, who said he saw the posters being taken down said: “How are we suppose to find Gemma then?” And her cousin Kyri brabded the removal of the posters “disgusting”.

Gemma was described as wearing a mustard coloured top, blue leggings, dark brown UGG boots and big sunglasses when she was last seen. She is also believed to have had her small Louis Vuitton handbag with her.

Anyone with information are urged to phone Tower Hamlets Missing Persons Unit on 0207 275 4589.