Missing Girl Hunt Resumes

Dyfed-Powys Police are continuing their search for five-year-old missing April Jones.

Police have been given a further 12 hours to question Mark Bridger, 46, who lives locally on suspicion of her abduction.

Yesterday they released a picture of his blue Land Rover Discovery.

April, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was last seen by another child near her home in the Bryn Y Gog estate in Machynlleth, mid Wales, at around 7pm on Monday.

On Wednesday Det Supt Reg Bevan said: "We can confirm that we have in fact arrested Mark Leonard Bridger and he remains in custody in Aberystwyth.

"We appeal to anyone who has seen him in the past few days. We are in the process of pieceing together his movements and that of his vehicle from 5pm on Monday to 3.30pm on Tuesday afternoon when Mark Bridger was arrested.

"He was wearing a camoflague green jacket and black waterproof over trousers when he was arrested."

After showing pictures of Mr Bridger and his jeep, registration number L503MEP, he asked for anyone who had seen it to get in touch.

"The Land Rover Discovery was recovered from a repair garage in the Old Station Road area of Machynlleth on Tuesday afternoon," he said.

"We are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry, one of which is Mark Bridger.

"Please can you look at these images - did you see that vehicle between Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon?

"Do know Mark Bridger and did you see him again between Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon?

"If you did, please don't assume someone else has already contacted us.

"Even if you have the smallest information it could be crucial to the investigation."

Det Supt Reg Bevan urged the public to leave the search to trained teams including 40 skilled officers, including dog handlers, Coastguard teams from Aberystwyth, Borth, Aberdyfi and Harlech and RNLI inshore lifeboat teams.

(GK)