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| April Jones: police name suspect as Mark Bridger | April Jones: police name suspect as Mark Bridger |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police searching for the missing five-year-old April Jones have taken the unusual step of releasing the name and a photograph of the man they have arrested on suspicion of her abduction. | Police searching for the missing five-year-old April Jones have taken the unusual step of releasing the name and a photograph of the man they have arrested on suspicion of her abduction. |
| The man arrested on Tuesday afternoon was named as 46-year-old Mark Leonard Bridger, who lives close to April's family home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales. | The man arrested on Tuesday afternoon was named as 46-year-old Mark Leonard Bridger, who lives close to April's family home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales. |
| Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan said police were continuing to question him about the disappearance of the girl, who has not been seen since she was apparently snatched as she played in the street with friends at about 7pm on Monday. | Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan said police were continuing to question him about the disappearance of the girl, who has not been seen since she was apparently snatched as she played in the street with friends at about 7pm on Monday. |
| Bevan also produced an image of a Land Rover – registration L503 MEP – that has been seized by officers and is being examined. | Bevan also produced an image of a Land Rover – registration L503 MEP – that has been seized by officers and is being examined. |
| Appealing for help from the public, Bevan said police were trying to piece together Bridger's movements from 5pm on Monday until his arrest at 3.30pm on Tuesday. | Appealing for help from the public, Bevan said police were trying to piece together Bridger's movements from 5pm on Monday until his arrest at 3.30pm on Tuesday. |
| He confirmed that Bridger was arrested just north of the Dyfi bridge, about a mile from Machynlleth town centre, as he was walking towards the town. Bevan said the suspect was wearing a green camouflage jacket and black waterproof trousers over camouflage trousers. The Land Rover was found at a nearby repair garage. | |
| The detective said: "We are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry, one of which is Mark Bridger." | The detective said: "We are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry, one of which is Mark Bridger." |
| He asked people to look carefully at the images of Bridger and the vehicle and come forward if they had seen anything. "Please don't assume that someone else has contacted us," he said. | He asked people to look carefully at the images of Bridger and the vehicle and come forward if they had seen anything. "Please don't assume that someone else has contacted us," he said. |
| Extra officers and mountain rescue teams are being drafted in to search for April in a "methodical and systematic" search, police said earlier. | Extra officers and mountain rescue teams are being drafted in to search for April in a "methodical and systematic" search, police said earlier. |
| Superintendent Ian John, the local police commander, said he hoped as the day went on more information would come from Bridger, who is known to April's family. | Superintendent Ian John, the local police commander, said he hoped as the day went on more information would come from Bridger, who is known to April's family. |
| John said: "I'm afraid to say I don't have any news on April's whereabouts but we continue to pursue the search areas. As today goes on and further interviews with the person in custody take place we anticipate intelligence coming out of those interviews which are going to drive where the police search operation will go." | John said: "I'm afraid to say I don't have any news on April's whereabouts but we continue to pursue the search areas. As today goes on and further interviews with the person in custody take place we anticipate intelligence coming out of those interviews which are going to drive where the police search operation will go." |
| He said Machynlleth and the surrounding areas continued to be the main focus for the search. | He said Machynlleth and the surrounding areas continued to be the main focus for the search. |
| John said the police had been "overwhelmed" by members of the public volunteering to help search. But he said the conditions were "challenging" and the River Dovey, which runs through Machynlleth, was in flood. He said he was worried that people might put their own safety at risk and asked them to leave the hunt to the police and mountain rescue teams. | John said the police had been "overwhelmed" by members of the public volunteering to help search. But he said the conditions were "challenging" and the River Dovey, which runs through Machynlleth, was in flood. He said he was worried that people might put their own safety at risk and asked them to leave the hunt to the police and mountain rescue teams. |
| John said more than 40 "trained and skilled" officers, along with mountain rescue teams, had worked through the night. More officers from neighbouring forces were joining the search on Wednesday morning. "We are doing everything we can to find April and bring her back to her family," he said. | John said more than 40 "trained and skilled" officers, along with mountain rescue teams, had worked through the night. More officers from neighbouring forces were joining the search on Wednesday morning. "We are doing everything we can to find April and bring her back to her family," he said. |
| On Tuesday night, April's family said their lives had been "shattered" and appealed for help in getting her home. | On Tuesday night, April's family said their lives had been "shattered" and appealed for help in getting her home. |
| In a statement, they said: "Our lives were shattered when our beautiful little girl April, who was playing with friends, was taken from us. We are devastated and our lives have stopped. | In a statement, they said: "Our lives were shattered when our beautiful little girl April, who was playing with friends, was taken from us. We are devastated and our lives have stopped. |
| "Please, please, if you have our little girl let her come home to us. This is such a small, close-knit community and we plead with anyone who has information, no matter how small they may think it is, to contact the police immediately. Please help us bring home our beautiful girl." | "Please, please, if you have our little girl let her come home to us. This is such a small, close-knit community and we plead with anyone who has information, no matter how small they may think it is, to contact the police immediately. Please help us bring home our beautiful girl." |
| Bridger was found near Machynlleth just before April's parents, Coral, 40, and Paul, 43, were about to appear in person to appeal for help. It is believed the police had been searching for the man for some hours. | Bridger was found near Machynlleth just before April's parents, Coral, 40, and Paul, 43, were about to appear in person to appeal for help. It is believed the police had been searching for the man for some hours. |
| It is known police were identifying known paedophiles that might be living in the area as one line of inquiry. Police also confirmed they were looking at possible links between April's abduction and a suspected attempt last week, when a driver was seen "acting suspiciously" in the Aberystwyth area, the apparent target being a young schoolboy. | |
| April went missing as she played on her bike with friends near her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate around 7pm on Monday. The seven-year-old friend she was playing with spoke to specially trained officers and told them that apparently April got into the car "willingly". | April went missing as she played on her bike with friends near her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate around 7pm on Monday. The seven-year-old friend she was playing with spoke to specially trained officers and told them that apparently April got into the car "willingly". |
| April's disappearance triggered the first nationwide child rescue alert in the UK. The alert has never been used across the country like this before, partly because suspected stranger-abductions are rare. | April's disappearance triggered the first nationwide child rescue alert in the UK. The alert has never been used across the country like this before, partly because suspected stranger-abductions are rare. |
| Charlie Hedges, manager of the missing, abducted and kidnapped children section within the Child Exploitation and Online Protection unit (Ceop), said the decision to launch the alert was made because the risk to April was so great, and in the knowledge that to do so could swamp the investigating team. | Charlie Hedges, manager of the missing, abducted and kidnapped children section within the Child Exploitation and Online Protection unit (Ceop), said the decision to launch the alert was made because the risk to April was so great, and in the knowledge that to do so could swamp the investigating team. |
| A team from Ceop has travelled to Wales to work with Dyfed-Powys police. | A team from Ceop has travelled to Wales to work with Dyfed-Powys police. |
| Police forces across the country – including the Metropolitan police – have offered support to the small rural force. Nationwide alerts have been issued and police were looking through CCTV footage from private homes, municipal cameras and the road network. |