Search is on for the missing April Jones, a five-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted on Monday after she “willingly” got into a van being driven by Mark Leonard Bridger, the father of April Jones’ playmates Sophie, nine, and Connor, 13, who were with her just hours before she was taken from near her home in Machynlleth, north Wales.

Bridger, 46, was a friend of the Jones family, was a regular visitor of the Brynygog estate in Machynlleth to visit his children after he split from his wife. Following his arrest on suspicion of April’s abduction yesterday afternoon, the police is interrogating him regarding the kidnapping.

Mark Bridger’s former partner Elaine Dafydd, who lives close to April Jones’ home, has another daughter, Erin, aged four, by her new partner. Erin was with April when Bridger offered them a ride in his Land Rover last week.

Neighbour Amy Fenner, 21, said, “It’s not the first time they have been in his vehicle. They had got into the van two days before the abduction. April was playing with her friends Erin, Milly, Sophie and Connor and it has come out that they have been in the van before”, adding, “They drove them down the road from the estate and chatted with them. I don’t know if it was just the three little girls who rode in the van or some of their other friends as well.”

The parents of the missing April Jones, Coral and Paul have made an emotional public appeal to gather information on their daughter’s whereabouts.

Earlier in the day, Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan, from Dyfed Powys Police, released a picture of Bridger and appealed for anyone who had seen him between 5pm on Monday and 3.30pm on Tuesday to come forward. The Detective also appealed for information on sightings of Bridger’s metallic blue Land Rover Discovery, with registration number L503 MEP, which was seized in a repair garage in Machynlleth.

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