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| Machynlleth residents join April Jones search amid town's 'worst nightmare' | Machynlleth residents join April Jones search amid town's 'worst nightmare' |
| (6 days later) | |
| The town of Machynlleth is all but deserted. Most of the shops are closed, though almost all have "missing" posters in the windows. The cafes are empty, the pubs and bars vacant. | The town of Machynlleth is all but deserted. Most of the shops are closed, though almost all have "missing" posters in the windows. The cafes are empty, the pubs and bars vacant. |
| Just about the whole of the 2,000-strong population is either out searching the fields, hills, paths and lanes or at the leisure centre waiting to be told where to look. | Just about the whole of the 2,000-strong population is either out searching the fields, hills, paths and lanes or at the leisure centre waiting to be told where to look. |
| The rubbish tip was closed so workers could help with the search; the postmen and women were putting up "missing" posters as they did their rounds; office workers called in to say they would not be coming in today so they could help hunt for April Jones; the petrol station reopened in the early hours so people could refuel and continue searching; and mountain rescue teams arrived from across Wales to help the search, which was being led by the police, the fire service and the local authority. | The rubbish tip was closed so workers could help with the search; the postmen and women were putting up "missing" posters as they did their rounds; office workers called in to say they would not be coming in today so they could help hunt for April Jones; the petrol station reopened in the early hours so people could refuel and continue searching; and mountain rescue teams arrived from across Wales to help the search, which was being led by the police, the fire service and the local authority. |
| "The whole town is motivated," says Tina Jones, a photographer, as she nurses a cup of tea outside the leisure centre while waiting for police instructions on where to search. "My husband was out until 2am on his mountain bike checking the paths. Everyone wants to help however they can." | "The whole town is motivated," says Tina Jones, a photographer, as she nurses a cup of tea outside the leisure centre while waiting for police instructions on where to search. "My husband was out until 2am on his mountain bike checking the paths. Everyone wants to help however they can." |
| Jones says Machynlleth had always been considered a safe town. "It's a really lovely town, a really close community. Everyone is out doing what they can. It's the safest place I've ever been. I've raised my daughter here. Children have always gone out to play and there's never been a cause for worry. That's why everyone's so shocked. This is the sort of thing that happens elsewhere, not here. | Jones says Machynlleth had always been considered a safe town. "It's a really lovely town, a really close community. Everyone is out doing what they can. It's the safest place I've ever been. I've raised my daughter here. Children have always gone out to play and there's never been a cause for worry. That's why everyone's so shocked. This is the sort of thing that happens elsewhere, not here. |
| "People are still optimistic, you have to hope someone will turn up something. With the media coverage and social media pretty much everyone is up and looking. You never know what can happen. You can't be too negative. | "People are still optimistic, you have to hope someone will turn up something. With the media coverage and social media pretty much everyone is up and looking. You never know what can happen. You can't be too negative. |
| "The great thing was the search was launched pretty much straight away; everyone who could go out did so. Until we hear of anything else we're positive and hope whoever this person or people were will let her go." | "The great thing was the search was launched pretty much straight away; everyone who could go out did so. Until we hear of anything else we're positive and hope whoever this person or people were will let her go." |
| People were using ingenious ways to find April. Alyson Jones, who runs the Losin Lush sweet shop, has been on her computer trying to contact all the independent sweet shops she knows to get them to look out for the little girl. "Hopefully they can look out for her, see if they notice any strange behaviour," she says. "Everybody is out looking for her, I would ask everyone else to do the same, knock on your neighbour's door, look in your outbuildings. The more eyes we have out there the sooner we can get her back to her mum and dad." | People were using ingenious ways to find April. Alyson Jones, who runs the Losin Lush sweet shop, has been on her computer trying to contact all the independent sweet shops she knows to get them to look out for the little girl. "Hopefully they can look out for her, see if they notice any strange behaviour," she says. "Everybody is out looking for her, I would ask everyone else to do the same, knock on your neighbour's door, look in your outbuildings. The more eyes we have out there the sooner we can get her back to her mum and dad." |
| This is a tight community. Machynlleth is populated by those whose families have lived here for generations and incomers attracted by the town's reputation as a liberal and environmentally friendly place to live. Everyone knows everyone, and they all know April. | This is a tight community. Machynlleth is populated by those whose families have lived here for generations and incomers attracted by the town's reputation as a liberal and environmentally friendly place to live. Everyone knows everyone, and they all know April. |
| "She is one of my customers, she's very dear to us all in town," says Jones. "It feels like she's everyone's child. We just want her to be brought back safe. Her family are lovely people, local townspeople who involved themselves in all the school events. This is our worst nightmare. The estate where she lives is full of children out playing. It could have been anyone's child here. She's five and needs to be home with her parents and brothers and sisters." | "She is one of my customers, she's very dear to us all in town," says Jones. "It feels like she's everyone's child. We just want her to be brought back safe. Her family are lovely people, local townspeople who involved themselves in all the school events. This is our worst nightmare. The estate where she lives is full of children out playing. It could have been anyone's child here. She's five and needs to be home with her parents and brothers and sisters." |
| The search will not be easy. The landscapes around the town are vast – to the north the wilds of Snowdonia, to the south the huge emptiness of mid-Wales. Just a few market towns and villages can be found between here and the M4 corridor, two-and-a-half hours away. It is an hour-and-a-half drive east before you hit a motorway. | The search will not be easy. The landscapes around the town are vast – to the north the wilds of Snowdonia, to the south the huge emptiness of mid-Wales. Just a few market towns and villages can be found between here and the M4 corridor, two-and-a-half hours away. It is an hour-and-a-half drive east before you hit a motorway. |
| The weather was not helping. After a sunny morning the heavens opened and torrential rain lashed the search parties. | The weather was not helping. After a sunny morning the heavens opened and torrential rain lashed the search parties. |
| But there is no doubt that the will to help remains. Throughout the morning more and more people arrived at the leisure centre, some having driven two hours to bolster the army of Machynlleth searchers. | But there is no doubt that the will to help remains. Throughout the morning more and more people arrived at the leisure centre, some having driven two hours to bolster the army of Machynlleth searchers. |
| "I heard it on the telly first thing," says Jim Turner, a pensioner from Welshpool, 40 miles away. "I decided to get over here and do my bit to help. It's a long shot but I couldn't just sit at home and watch while all this went on." | "I heard it on the telly first thing," says Jim Turner, a pensioner from Welshpool, 40 miles away. "I decided to get over here and do my bit to help. It's a long shot but I couldn't just sit at home and watch while all this went on." |
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