Hunt for missing April resumes

The hunt for missing Welsh girl April Jones resumed today after searchers were stood down overnight due to atrocious weather.

Hunt for missing April resumes

The hunt for missing Welsh girl April Jones resumed today after searchers were stood down overnight due to atrocious weather.

The decision offered search teams the chance to recharge their batteries.

The five-year-old went missing from the Bryn-y-Gog estate where she lives in Machynlleth, mid Wales, on Monday evening.

She was seen to willingly get into what is believed to have been a Land Rover Discovery.

Mark Bridger, 46, a local man known to April’s family, was arrested on suspicion of abduction on Tuesday afternoon.

His Land Rover Discovery was also seized by police and is undergoing forensic examination.

Yesterday police announced Mr Bridger had been arrested on suspicion of murder, indicating they no longer expect to find April alive.

Police yesterday were granted a final 24 hours to question the former lifeguard. The custody limit expires this afternoon after which he must be released or charged.

Emergency services including the Coastguard, RNLI, RAF mountain rescue and 150 members of mountain rescue teams from across the UK have been searching continuously since April vanished.

They are liaising with more than 60 specially trained search officers.

Last night private prayers were said for April, who suffers from cerebral palsy and needs medication, by members of the close-knit community.

Many are refusing to give up hope that she will be found alive five nights after her disappearance and continue to wear pink ribbons in support of the family.

Coral Jones, 40, April’s mother, called on the community to wear the ribbons, in her daughter’s favourite colour, as a symbol of hope.

Residents, police officers, homes, cars and shops were quickly festooned with pink ribbons in a massive symbolic show of solidarity.

April was playing out late on the estate on her bicycle as a treat for receiving a glowing report at school.

Her parents had attended the nearby primary school’s parents’ evening less than one hour before.

Mr Bridger, who also has children at the school, was there at about the same time, as a parent.

Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan said yesterday that Mr Bridger’s arrest on suspicion of murder would not affect search efforts.

“The arrest does not detract from our efforts to find April and we remain committed to finding her,” he said.

Still hoping

Teaching staff at April’s primary school are among many who still refuse to give up hope that she is still alive.

Gwenfair Glyn, acting head teacher at Machynlleth Primary School, said: “We are still clinging to hope that April will be returned to us.

“As more time goes on we are becoming increasingly concerned for her safety but we refuse to give up hope and are praying that April is alive.”

Search teams were yesterday focusing their resources on a relatively short expanse of the River Dyfi outside the town.

Mr Bridger was arrested two miles north of the town, walking not far from the river and wearing waterproof trousers.

The last place he is known to have been living, a further three miles away in the village of Ceinws, is also close to the Dyfi.

A specialist sonar vessel was brought in and used on a section of the river spanning both locations.

A team of kayakers was also focusing on that section of the river and teams of searchers wearing waders scoured the river banks.

Others walked in shallower parts of the river, plunging batons into the water as they went.

A helicopter using thermal imaging equipment is also being used.

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