Body found in search for missing baby

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were captured on camera just moments before they were arrested on Monday night.

In the footage, it appears that Mark Gordon is using a stick for support, and the pair are both wearing heavy outdoor clothing as they carry bags down the street.

Police thanked the public for their support in their search, after they announced they discovered a child's remains in a wooded area.

Hundreds of police officers had been searching a vast area of land near Brighton.

Det Supt James Collis also expressed his condolences to the wider family of the child.

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Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 47, met in 2016. They are thought to have been leading a nomadic lifestyle since leaving their home in south-east London in September 2022, when Marten began showing signs of pregnancy.

The couple's car was found burning on the side of a motorway near Bolton in early January.

Police discovered that Marten had given birth a day or two earlier, without any medical assistance.

They started searching for the couple right away - but despite numerous CCTV sightings placing them in various locations around the country, Marten and Gordon weren’t found until 27 February, when they were arrested on the outskirts of Brighton.

PA MediaCopyright: PA Media

Police confirmed the remains of a baby has been found in a wooded area near where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested.

Det Supt Lewis Basford of the Metropolitan Police said it was an outcome that he and officers involved in the search "had hoped would not happen".

A post-mortem will be held in due course, police said.

If you need a recap, this is what we have been told by police this evening:

• Officers discovered a baby's remains in a wooded area this afternoon, after three days of searching for the missing child of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
• The body was found near to where Marten and Gordon were arrested on Monday evening in the Fiveways area of Brighton
• Police have not confirmed the baby is theirs and said a post-mortem examination would take place
• The area where the body was found is being treated as a crime scene
• Det Supt Lewis Basford of the Met Police said it is "the news that we did not want to hear". He added that police would "do everything we can" to find out what had happened
• He asked that members of the public refrain from speculation
• Marten and Gordon remain in custody after a 36-hour detention extension was granted by Brighton Magistrates' Court
• Ch Supt James Collis of Sussex Police said he sent his "heartfelt condolences" following the outcome of the search
• He added that the conclusion of the search would be "heartbreaking for the local community", and thanked "the public, the huge number of people who came forward with information and those that have volunteered to assist with the searches"

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There was a quiet and sombre atmosphere outside Sussex Police HQ when police delivered the news that a baby had been found in woodland near to where the couple were arrested.

This isn’t the news anyone was hoping for.

Police have also asked the public not to speculate.

It’s important to note they did not confirm this is Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s baby.

A post-mortem examination will happen in due course, police said.

Ch Supt James Collis ends by saying he sends his "heartfelt condolences" to the wider family of the baby following the outcome of the search.

He says he knows this evening's news will be "heartbreaking for the local community" and all those involved in the search operation.

And he thanks the public again, including the person who gave the information leading to the arrests of Marten and Gordon, as well as "the huge number of people who came forward with information and those that have volunteered to assist with the searches".

"We continue to support the Metropolitan Police as they conduct their investigation and also the wider community as we all come to terms with this tragedy," he says.

Det Supt Lewis Basford confirms that Constance Marten and Mark Gordon remain in police custody.

He said: "An application for an extension of their detention for a further 36 hours was sought and granted by Brighton Magistrates' Court."

It is "imperative" that members of the public refrain from speculation, police say.

Det Supt Lewis Basford of the Met Police says it is "the news that we did not want to hear".

"We will do everything we can to make sure we find out what has happened," he adds.

The senior police officers have arrived and are now giving their update.

Just to let you know, we're still waiting to hear the update from the police, which they've said will be significant. There appears to be a bit of delay.

Cameras and microphones are in place as we wait to hear statements from Det Supt Lewis Basford from the Met Police and Ch Supt James Collis from Sussex Police.

Stay with us for the latest.

This will be the second time we've heard from the police today.

Here is a reminder of what they said earlier:

• Det Supt Lewis Basford from the Met Police said an application for another 36 hours in detention for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon had been sought
• He also said that the search for the baby continued and that it was possible “they have come to serious harm”
• He added that support from the public has been vital so far, and continued to appeal for help, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious behaviour or items in gardens and sheds

• Det Supt Basford said it was a "hugely difficult and painstaking search operation" covering 90 square miles

Within minutes, the police car park here has been transformed into a makeshift newsroom - dozens of journalists and crews are gathered, with cameras and lights switched on.

We’re expecting to hear statements from Det Supt Lewis Basford from the Met Police and Ch Supt James Collis from Sussex Police.

We're waiting for officers from the Metropolitan and Sussex Police forces to come out in the next few minutes to address reporters.

You'll be able to watch the statement at the top of the live page, and we'll bring you the main updates here.

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Police urgently called this press conference outside Sussex Police HQ, which is nearly half an hour's drive from where searches have been taking place and the couple were arrested on Monday evening.

They say they have a "significant" update.

It's an unusual move after holding another press conference in Brighton just a few hours earlier in which officers leading the investigation told reporters the search had come up with nothing so far.

It’s not yet clear what the update will be.

The search for the missing baby is due to enter its third night as temperatures here keep dropping.

In an earlier statement Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford from the Metropolitan Police confirms that Constance Marten and Mark Gordon remain in police custody in Sussex.

The police search for the baby continues. Basford says detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command are now leading inquires to locate the baby in this "very complex" investigation.

He explains the investigation covers 90 square miles and they're using every resource they can to find the baby.

Police have been searching for Constance Marten's baby since she and her partner Mark Gordon were found and arrested on Monday night.

The search is taking place east of Brighton, as the map shows:

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