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| Hundreds join search for April Jones in Machynlleth's 'worst nightmare' | Hundreds join search for April Jones in Machynlleth's 'worst nightmare' |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| It was an agonising day for the family of April Jones; it was difficult for the whole town. Time and again residents of Machynlleth, a town families move to because it is a great place to bring up children, explained that this was the sort of awful thing that happened elsewhere, not here. | It was an agonising day for the family of April Jones; it was difficult for the whole town. Time and again residents of Machynlleth, a town families move to because it is a great place to bring up children, explained that this was the sort of awful thing that happened elsewhere, not here. |
| But it had. And as detectives made their inquiries behind the scenes, the residents of this pretty town in mid Wales piled into the streets, the muddy hills and fields to do their bit to bring April home. | But it had. And as detectives made their inquiries behind the scenes, the residents of this pretty town in mid Wales piled into the streets, the muddy hills and fields to do their bit to bring April home. |
| The five-year-old went missing from the Bryn-y-Gog estate on Monday evening. It was a dull, showery evening, but April and her friends were playing on the green outside her family's home. | The five-year-old went missing from the Bryn-y-Gog estate on Monday evening. It was a dull, showery evening, but April and her friends were playing on the green outside her family's home. |
| Robert Griffiths, 38, a council worker and retained firefighter who lives close by, said the green had always been the sort of place where children could play safely. "Everybody knows everybody. It is the sort of place where you can leave your door unlocked. I've brought up three kids here, they've always played out without any problems." | Robert Griffiths, 38, a council worker and retained firefighter who lives close by, said the green had always been the sort of place where children could play safely. "Everybody knows everybody. It is the sort of place where you can leave your door unlocked. I've brought up three kids here, they've always played out without any problems." |
| As dusk fell, April became separated from her friends. Some say she was playing in a narrow alleyway just off the green when she was abducted. Within minutes her family realised something was wrong. Relatives, friends and April's siblings began knocking on doors asking if anyone had seen her. | As dusk fell, April became separated from her friends. Some say she was playing in a narrow alleyway just off the green when she was abducted. Within minutes her family realised something was wrong. Relatives, friends and April's siblings began knocking on doors asking if anyone had seen her. |
| "Her sister banged on my door at around 7.30pm asking me if I'd seen her," said Griffiths. He went out, assuming she would be found. "When I came back there were hundreds of people on the green, it was chaos. There are lots of rumours, lots of people repeating versions of the story, you don't know what to believe." | "Her sister banged on my door at around 7.30pm asking me if I'd seen her," said Griffiths. He went out, assuming she would be found. "When I came back there were hundreds of people on the green, it was chaos. There are lots of rumours, lots of people repeating versions of the story, you don't know what to believe." |
| What happened next showed just how close a community this is. On Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday morning, hundreds of people began searching for April. It was no easy task; it was pitch dark and the town is perched on the edge of hundreds of miles of rough, open, countryside. | What happened next showed just how close a community this is. On Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday morning, hundreds of people began searching for April. It was no easy task; it was pitch dark and the town is perched on the edge of hundreds of miles of rough, open, countryside. |
| Among the few who did not join the search were April's parents, Paul and Coral, who stayed put in the family home hoping the little girl would walk back through the door at any moment. | Among the few who did not join the search were April's parents, Paul and Coral, who stayed put in the family home hoping the little girl would walk back through the door at any moment. |
| But by daybreak there was no sign of the five-year-old. The search intensified. The high street, normally bustling, was eerily empty. Most of the shops were closed and almost all had "missing" posters in the windows. The cafes were empty, the pubs and bars vacant. | But by daybreak there was no sign of the five-year-old. The search intensified. The high street, normally bustling, was eerily empty. Most of the shops were closed and almost all had "missing" posters in the windows. The cafes were empty, the pubs and bars vacant. |
| Just about the entire 2,000-strong population was out searching the fields, hills, paths and lanes, or waiting at the leisure centre to be told where to look. | Just about the entire 2,000-strong population was out searching the fields, hills, paths and lanes, or waiting at the leisure centre to be told where to look. |
| The rubbish tip was closed so workers could help with the search. The postal staff put up "missing" posters as they did their rounds. Office workers called in to work to say they would not be coming in so they could help hunt for April; mountain rescue teams arrived from across Wales to help the search. | The rubbish tip was closed so workers could help with the search. The postal staff put up "missing" posters as they did their rounds. Office workers called in to work to say they would not be coming in so they could help hunt for April; mountain rescue teams arrived from across Wales to help the search. |
| "The whole town is motivated," said Tina Jones, a photographer, as she waited outside the leisure centre for police instructions on where to search. "My husband was out until 2am on his mountain bike checking the paths. Everyone wants to help however they can." | "The whole town is motivated," said Tina Jones, a photographer, as she waited outside the leisure centre for police instructions on where to search. "My husband was out until 2am on his mountain bike checking the paths. Everyone wants to help however they can." |
| She added: "People are still optimistic, you have to hope someone will turn up something. With the media coverage and social media, pretty much everyone is up and looking. You never know what can happen. You can't be too negative." | She added: "People are still optimistic, you have to hope someone will turn up something. With the media coverage and social media, pretty much everyone is up and looking. You never know what can happen. You can't be too negative." |
| As always, social media played a part in the hunt. People used Twitter and Facebook to get the word out about April. | As always, social media played a part in the hunt. People used Twitter and Facebook to get the word out about April. |
| Alyson Jones, who runs the Losin Lush sweet shop, had been using her computer, trying to contact all the independent sweet shops she knew to get them to look out for the little girl. | Alyson Jones, who runs the Losin Lush sweet shop, had been using her computer, trying to contact all the independent sweet shops she knew to get them to look out for the little girl. |
| "Hopefully they can look out for her, see if they notice any strange behaviour," she said. "Everybody is out looking for her, I would ask everyone else to do the same, knock on your neighbour's door, look in your outbuildings. The more eyes we have out there the sooner we can get her back to her mum and dad." | "Hopefully they can look out for her, see if they notice any strange behaviour," she said. "Everybody is out looking for her, I would ask everyone else to do the same, knock on your neighbour's door, look in your outbuildings. The more eyes we have out there the sooner we can get her back to her mum and dad." |
| Machynlleth is a mix of families who have lived here for generations and of newcomers attracted by the town's reputation as a liberal and environmentally friendly place to live. Everyone knows everyone, and almost all knew April. | Machynlleth is a mix of families who have lived here for generations and of newcomers attracted by the town's reputation as a liberal and environmentally friendly place to live. Everyone knows everyone, and almost all knew April. |
| Jones said: "She is one of my customers, she's very dear to us all in town. It feels like she's everyone's child. We just want her to be brought back safe. Her family are lovely people, local townspeople who involved themselves in all the school events. | Jones said: "She is one of my customers, she's very dear to us all in town. It feels like she's everyone's child. We just want her to be brought back safe. Her family are lovely people, local townspeople who involved themselves in all the school events. |
| "This is our worst nightmare. The estate where she lives is full of children out playing. It could have been anyone's child here. She's five and needs to be home with her parents and brothers and sisters." | "This is our worst nightmare. The estate where she lives is full of children out playing. It could have been anyone's child here. She's five and needs to be home with her parents and brothers and sisters." |
| People began arriving in Machynlleth from far afield to help in the search for April. | People began arriving in Machynlleth from far afield to help in the search for April. |
| Brian Clayton, a retired electrical engineer, who had come from Bristol to join the hunt, was kitting himself out with waterproof trousers from a pile of donated outdoor clothing, before taking to the hills. | Brian Clayton, a retired electrical engineer, who had come from Bristol to join the hunt, was kitting himself out with waterproof trousers from a pile of donated outdoor clothing, before taking to the hills. |
| "We come here for our holidays every year. It's a lovely place, the sort of place you come to recharge your batteries. I came to see if there was anything I could do to help," he said. | "We come here for our holidays every year. It's a lovely place, the sort of place you come to recharge your batteries. I came to see if there was anything I could do to help," he said. |
| Roma Morgan, a lecturer from Aberystwyth, was on a day off so decided to join the search. She got together with a team that was going door-to-door in Machynlleth, asking to look in people's sheds, bins, gardens and even attics. "People were fine – they were happy to let us into their houses." | Roma Morgan, a lecturer from Aberystwyth, was on a day off so decided to join the search. She got together with a team that was going door-to-door in Machynlleth, asking to look in people's sheds, bins, gardens and even attics. "People were fine – they were happy to let us into their houses." |
| As the day went on some of those not fit enough to hike through the hills stationed themselves at road junctions in Mach, as most call the town, to hand out "missing" leaflets to passing motorists. | As the day went on some of those not fit enough to hike through the hills stationed themselves at road junctions in Mach, as most call the town, to hand out "missing" leaflets to passing motorists. |
| One element that puzzled the people living at Bryn-y-Gog was why no one had seen the vehicle on the estate. If there had been a strange car or van cruising around they would have spotted it, they said. At the same time, they said, they could not believe a local person could have done such a thing. | One element that puzzled the people living at Bryn-y-Gog was why no one had seen the vehicle on the estate. If there had been a strange car or van cruising around they would have spotted it, they said. At the same time, they said, they could not believe a local person could have done such a thing. |
| Behind the scenes the police inquiry was continuing. It is understood that as early as Monday evening they had someone, a local man, whom they wanted to speak to. He drove a vehicle similar to the one believed to have been involved in April's abduction. | Behind the scenes the police inquiry was continuing. It is understood that as early as Monday evening they had someone, a local man, whom they wanted to speak to. He drove a vehicle similar to the one believed to have been involved in April's abduction. |
| On Tuesday a press conference was called. People thought April's family would attend. Before they could get to the conference room at Aberystwyth, a local man, aged 46, was arrested as he walked near Machynlleth. | On Tuesday a press conference was called. People thought April's family would attend. Before they could get to the conference room at Aberystwyth, a local man, aged 46, was arrested as he walked near Machynlleth. |
| Within minutes police said the development was "significant" but urged people to keep looking for April. As night fell the search continued. | Within minutes police said the development was "significant" but urged people to keep looking for April. As night fell the search continued. |
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