Hopes of finding baby of runaway aristocrat fade as search enters day two

Hopes of finding the baby of runaway aristocrat Constance Marten and boyfriend Mark Gordon alive and well are fading, as the search for the infant enters day two.

The pair, who were spotted by a member of the public in Stanmer Villas, were arrested in Brighton on Monday (February 27) on suspicion of child neglect following 54 days on the run.

Their arrest brought an end to a national manhunt that spanned several police forces, but their child was not with them.

An urgent search for the child immediately began, with police searching the surrounding areas including allotments and greenhouses – while members of the public were also urged to check their own properties and outbuildings.

Police yesterday (February 28) said it was possible the baby had "come to harm", adding the child was at "extreme risk".

The pair, who were arrested on suspicion of child neglect and further arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, are reportedly refusing to tell police where the infant is.

This is despite being questioned for a "significant period of time".

Alongside hundreds of officers, a helicopter, sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras and drones are being used in the search.

Both Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, remain in police custody.

The three of them were thought to be living outdoors in a blue tent after their car was found burning on the M61 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on January 5.

After going missing the couple made their way across the UK, travelling from Bolton to Liverpool, then to Harwich in Essex, as they made their way to east London and then to Newhaven in Sussex – where they were seen near the ferry port on January 8.

Just days after they initially went missing, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said the baby was "at the heart of the investigation".

He added that increasing concerns about the child's health were becoming stronger "day by day".

Anyone who may be able to assist in the search for the couple’s baby is urged to contact 999.

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