A vulnerable pensioner who suffered a stroke when she was left locked in a public toilet for 21 hours - as police with sniffer dogs and helicopters mounted a huge search for her - has returned home from hospital. 

Norma Webster was found unconscious in a cubicle when cleaners finally arrived in the morning to open up the toilets on July 31. 

A massive search was launched for the 78-year-old from Forres, Moray, who had gone undiscovered for nearly a whole day. 

She was taken to hospital and her family feared her stroke could mean that she would never speak again. 

Read more: Norma Webster: Family's 'horror' after stroke victim mum locked in public toilet for 21 hours despite huge police search

But her son, Martin McDonald says he has been encouraged by the recovery she is making. 

Norma arrived back into at her Forres home from hospital last Friday after suffering the stroke on July 31. 

She is now settling back into life with husband James but will still require regular tests and checkups. 

Her son Martin, 46, said: "She's out of the hospital now, so she's making a bit of progress. 

"She's starting to get a bit of speech back too but it's only a word here and there. It's not really sentences yet. 

"It's still early days though, so we just have to wait and see. Time will tell, I guess, but I think she will probably progress more quickly now she's out of hospital. 

"My dad's happy to have her back. They've been coping well enough so far. There's somebody in visiting them three times a week now, which is going to be better for them." 

Read more: Norma Webster: Family's 'horror' after stroke victim mum locked in public toilet for 21 hours despite huge police search

Emergency services launched a massive search with a helicopter and sniffer dogs to track down the Forres pensioner after she was reported missing. 

Norma was seen on CCTV going into the Co-op store around 10.30am on July 31, and was reported missing by James, 84, around 5pm after she failed to return home. 

As fears grew for her safety that evening, police sniffer dogs were drafted in and helicopters scoured the area for signs of her. 

She was found in the toilet around 8am the next morning - just 200 yards from where had been seen on CCTV. 

Following the incident, Moray Council apologised and vowed to conduct a review of the procedures involved in locking up public toilets at night. 

Martin has insisted council authority staff should meet his mother to explain the events surrounding the incident when she's well enough. 

He said: "My mum still doesn't remember anything about that whole day. I doubt it will come back now. 

"The council has written a letter to her. I haven't had the chance to read it yet though. 

"They've also phoned me too so there's been a bit of contact and they have made the effort, but she's not really well enough yet." 

Earlier this month, a spokesman for Moray Council apologised on behalf of the authority to Norma's family. 

Read more: Norma Webster: Family's 'horror' after stroke victim mum locked in public toilet for 21 hours despite huge police search

He said: "The council can only apologise most sincerely to Mrs Webster and her family for what must have been a distressing ordeal for all of them. 

"An urgent review of procedures will now be done to ensure that where we operate toilets in partnership with the local community who open and close them, as was the case here, there is no prospect of a similar incident happening again."