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| Police use drones in April Jones search | Police use drones in April Jones search |
| (4 months later) | |
| Police searching for April Jones are using drones to look for any trace of the missing five-year-old and say the hunt could continue beyond Christmas. | Police searching for April Jones are using drones to look for any trace of the missing five-year-old and say the hunt could continue beyond Christmas. |
| Officers are keen to emphasise that they are not scaling down the operation, which has been ongoing since April went missing while playing on the street near her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on 1 October. | Officers are keen to emphasise that they are not scaling down the operation, which has been ongoing since April went missing while playing on the street near her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on 1 October. |
| The search is still focused on the area around the town, including the river Dyfi, and the nearby village of Ceinws, where Mark Bridger, the man who has been charged with April's abduction, murder and concealing her body, lived. | The search is still focused on the area around the town, including the river Dyfi, and the nearby village of Ceinws, where Mark Bridger, the man who has been charged with April's abduction, murder and concealing her body, lived. |
| Superintendent Ian John said unmanned aerial vehicles supplied by private companies and fitted with sonar equipment are being used to try to pinpoint areas of recently disturbed earth. | Superintendent Ian John said unmanned aerial vehicles supplied by private companies and fitted with sonar equipment are being used to try to pinpoint areas of recently disturbed earth. |
| The equipment employed in the search also includes GPS equipped vests for dog handlers that enable search to map exactly where they have been. | The equipment employed in the search also includes GPS equipped vests for dog handlers that enable search to map exactly where they have been. |
| John said: "We could still be here at Christmas or the new year. Hopefully we will find April soon. | John said: "We could still be here at Christmas or the new year. Hopefully we will find April soon. |
| "We are not going anywhere until we have done our job. We are here for the long term if we need to be." | "We are not going anywhere until we have done our job. We are here for the long term if we need to be." |
| Police search teams are being constantly rotated to keep them fresh. A new team of 150 officers was on the ground on Wednesday. Most were from Welsh forces but some were from the Met and other English forces. | Police search teams are being constantly rotated to keep them fresh. A new team of 150 officers was on the ground on Wednesday. Most were from Welsh forces but some were from the Met and other English forces. |
| Firefighters who specialise in urban searches have been deployed to comb caves, potholes and old mine-shafts. John said they can work in areas where potentially dangerous gases such as methane are found. | Firefighters who specialise in urban searches have been deployed to comb caves, potholes and old mine-shafts. John said they can work in areas where potentially dangerous gases such as methane are found. |
| Ambulance teams trained to work in hazardous areas and with dangerous substances are also in attendance. | Ambulance teams trained to work in hazardous areas and with dangerous substances are also in attendance. |
| Mountain rescue teams were brought back in over the weekend but have since been stood down. | Mountain rescue teams were brought back in over the weekend but have since been stood down. |
| John said: "Numbers may fluctuate a bit on a daily basis. But whilst we still have viable lines of inquiry, we will continue to search. There is no scaling down at all." | John said: "Numbers may fluctuate a bit on a daily basis. But whilst we still have viable lines of inquiry, we will continue to search. There is no scaling down at all." |
| He added that searchers were unwilling to take time off but he had stayed away last weekend to set an example of good practice for others to follow. | He added that searchers were unwilling to take time off but he had stayed away last weekend to set an example of good practice for others to follow. |
| "You need to be refreshed and relaxed to be at your best so you don't miss anything," he said. | "You need to be refreshed and relaxed to be at your best so you don't miss anything," he said. |
| April went missing from the Bryn-y-Gog estate after being allowed to play out late as a treat following a glowing school report. | April went missing from the Bryn-y-Gog estate after being allowed to play out late as a treat following a glowing school report. |
| Bridger, 46, a former lifeguard, was arrested the next day and is due to appear in crown court in the new year. | Bridger, 46, a former lifeguard, was arrested the next day and is due to appear in crown court in the new year. |
| In the House of Commons on Wednesday, David Cameron paid tribute to the way the people of Machynlleth came together following April's disappearance to support her family and search for the girl. | In the House of Commons on Wednesday, David Cameron paid tribute to the way the people of Machynlleth came together following April's disappearance to support her family and search for the girl. |
| At prime minister's questions, he said: "The whole country has been shocked by the appalling events but the country has been lifted and incredibly impressed by this community, Machynlleth, and what everybody has done to help the police, to help the emergency services. | At prime minister's questions, he said: "The whole country has been shocked by the appalling events but the country has been lifted and incredibly impressed by this community, Machynlleth, and what everybody has done to help the police, to help the emergency services. |
| "We've seen a whole community come together, not just in grief but in action to help this family and I think it a huge credit to everyone involved." | "We've seen a whole community come together, not just in grief but in action to help this family and I think it a huge credit to everyone involved." |
| • This article was amended on 18 October 2012 to modify a reference to April Jones's disappearance. | • This article was amended on 18 October 2012 to modify a reference to April Jones's disappearance. |
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