Van seized in search for girls

Police are today examining a white van seized as part of the investigation into the feared abduction of 10-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells.

The van was seen cruising around the area where the girls went missing in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on Sunday night. The development came as the parents of the two best friends made emotional appeals for their safe return.

Detective Superintendent David Hankins said: "As part of the ongoing inquiries, on the strength of information we have received, we have seized a white van from the Wentworth area... that may be relevant to our inquiry."

On the search for the girls, he added: "From the outset we thought this might be a prank, we thought there might have been an accident, now we are sadly having to consider the possibility of an abduction." The van was seized 12 miles from Soham at the remote hamlet of Wentworth. About 10 caravans, used by travellers, stand next to more permanent mobile homes bordering farmland.

Divers are searching the waterways and ditches in the surrounding Fens today. Mr Hankins added: "Another night has passed and these two vulnerable young girls have not come to light and our fears grow by the hour. Increasingly, we have to look at the possibility... that this

will be a criminal investigation." He added: "We have to pray they are somewhere safe, but we have to fear there has been an abduction.

"My heart goes out to the parents. This has got to be the most harrowing thing for the families. We have got our fingers crossed and hope and pray that the girls are somewhere safe, but we have got to be realistic."

There were reported sightings on Monday of two girls wearing red Manchester United shirts. Holly and Jessica were both wearing the football shirts carrying David Beckham's name and the number seven.

But police said today they were no longer convinced that the sightings were of the girls.

Mr Hankins added: "We have to say that the descriptions these officers received of Jessica and Holly may no longer be considered accurate."

Tina-Maria Easey, 39, and a neighbour reported seeing two girls matching the descriptions of Holly and Jessica walking along the A10 in Little Thetford, eight miles from Soham.

Police have received more than 2,000 calls from the public but said they were disappointed no motorists had spotted the girls in the area of the A10 near Little Thetford, near where they were reported to have been seen. Mr Hankins stressed: "We still need that breakthrough call.

"We have spoken to bus drivers, motorists, anyone who was using the A10 at that time and no one else saw them." He stressed there was "no malice" about the neighbours' claimed sightings but added: "It is very strange no one else has seen them."

This afternoon the mother of Sarah Payne, the eight-year-old who was found murdered two weeks after

she vanished in July 2000, urged the parents of Jessica and Holly not to give up hope and said she was praying for them.

Sara Payne said she was praying for the parents. "I know exactly how these poor parents feel. It is agony and it doesn't get any easier, but they must not give up hope. It is still very early days and they should continue with the search. The police seem to be doing a very productive job."

Sarah was found in a shallow grave near Pulborough, West Sussex. Roy Whiting is serving life for her murder. The man credited with putting her killer behind bars was today drafted in to help with the search for Jessica and Holly.

Detective Superintendent Alan Ladley of Sussex police said: "We must ensure a thorough and extensive search of the area where the girls were last seen is carried out so that not a single patch of grass is missed.

'We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes we did during the Sarah Payne investigation. It is imperative we know sooner rather than later if something sinister has happened to them. Sarah Payne remained a missing persons inquiry for 16 days."

He went on: "Part of the investigation will focus on checking moves of sex offenders in the area and we have to face up to the possibility the girls may have been taken alive by an abductor or are being held somewhere.

"While this all sounds very gloomy, it is important to remain positive. It could quite simply be a case of the girls wandering off and falling into a ditch and having no idea police are looking for them."

Mr Ladley was accompanied by acting Detective Chief Inspector Martyn Underhill, who also played a key role in the Sarah Payne inquiry. Both are meeting senior investigating officers today. Mr Hankins confirmed today that "senior detectives will be joining us from Sussex police to use their skill and expertise".

He added that police have been examining CCTV footage from Soham and Cambridge. Twenty officers have searched St Andrew's Primary school in Soham, and Jessica and Holly's friends have been interviewed by police to see if they knew whether they had planned to meet someone.

Mr Hankins also asked parents in Cambridgeshire to avoid letting their children go out to play wearing red Manchester United shirts. He said officers were worried about being inundated by reports of children being seen wearing the shirts, adding: "What we don't want is to be side-tracked by people genuinely trying to help by reporting sightings of children wearing such shirts."

David Beckham, whom the girls idolised, yesterday urged them to "please go home - you are not in any trouble". In a joint statement, the two distraught families said of the player's involvement: "It's tremendous, fantastic. To think someone like David Beckham would offer us his support is superb, coming on top of the local and national support we have already received.

"It makes our life that much easier at a very difficult time."

As police cast doubt on the report of the girls near the A10 at Little Thetford, the woman who reported the first sighting remained convinced it was them.

Mrs Easey admitted it was strange no one had yet been able to corroborate the sighting she made of two girls looking happy and walking along the road at 6.45am on Monday. She added: "It's a busy road. You would have thought someone would have seen them."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cambridgeshire incident room on 01480 422982.

A bloodhound capable of following a human scent for more than 24 hours is being used in the search. The breed has an extraordinary ability to pick up old trails.

Three-year-old Morgan, from the Dyfed-Powys force in Wales, has been used in several missing persons inquiries and it is hoped he will take his handler, Pc Mark Jenkins, to Jessica and Holly.

Sergeant John Codd, in charge of Dyfed-Powys's dog unit, said: "Bloodhounds are tremendous tracking dogs - it's amazing what they can do. They can follow a scent even when the trail has been contaminated by other people in towns and cities."

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