FRANTIC SEARCH AS POLICE IN BRIGHTON ARREST CONSTANCE MARTEN AND MARK GORDON WITHOUT THEIR BABY

Shortly before 21:30hrs on Monday, 27 February, a member of the public reported a sighting of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon in Stanmer Villas, Brighton.

Officers from Sussex Police attended the location and the pair were arrested. The pair remain in custody.

Their baby is still missing and an urgent search operation is taking place in the area using both the forces helicopter and drones.

Timeline

The investigation started when officers were called to a car on fire on the hard-shoulder of the M61, near junction four (Farnworth, Bolton) at 18:33hrs on Thursday, 5 January, officers. However, the occupants were not at the scene.

It is believed most of their belongings were destroyed in the car fire.

Enquiries revealed that Constance and Mark were the occupants of the car and that Constance had very recently given birth, possibly one or two days before, and had not been assessed by medical professionals.

A missing persons investigation was launched by Greater Manchester Police, who established that the family left the vehicle and the motorway safely – walking to the Anchor Lane bridge which links the Highfield and Little Hulton areas.

Officers believe they then travelled to Liverpool and then onwards to Harwich via a taxi at about 03:30hrs on Friday, 6 January.

Mark, Constance and a baby were seen by a member of the public in Harwich at about 09:00hrs on Saturday, 7 January. Officers also received a number of confirmed sightings of the family in Colchester on Friday, 6 January and Saturday, 7 January.

Subsequently, the investigation was handed over to Essex Police on Monday, 9 January.

Essex Police carried out a number of enquiries and reviewed hours of CCTV and were able to place the couple near East Ham Station between 10:30hrs and 12:30hrs on Saturday, 7 January. As this was the last confirmed sighting of the family at the time, the investigation was handed over to the Metropolitan Police Service on Thursday, 12 January.

Detectives then established that they took a taxi from East Ham, being dropped off in Whitechapel Road at 18:14hrs on Saturday, 7 January.

The couple are seen leaving the taxi with an orange carrier bag and a pram. They both have their heads and faces covered and Mark is wearing white plastic bags on his shoes, which he removes a short time later.

At 18:19hrs Mark went into Argos on Whitechapel Road, E1, and bought two big bags full of items, paying in cash, including a blue two-man tent, two sleeping bags and two pillows – which sparked fears they have been camping, including at times when the temperature plummeted to sub-zero.

They spent the next few hours walking along the Whitechapel Road area, where they tried to flag down three taxis but were refused. They then walked to the Brick Lane area.

At about 23:46hrs on Saturday, January 7 they then went to Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane where they dumped a number of items, including the pushchair. They then got a taxi to Haringey.

At 01:24hrs on Sunday, January 8 they then got in another taxi in Allison Road, Haringey, and travelled to Newhaven, where they were dropped off just outside the port at 04:56hrs.

This is the last official sighting of the family.

Anyone with information that could assist the search is asked to call 999.