Another urgent appeal has been shared after it was revealed that police believe a missing couple and newborn baby are believed to be sleeping in a tent in sub-zero temperatures.
Met Police has confirmed its suspicions in an attempt to trace Constance Marten, 35, Mark Gordon, 48, and their baby. The team working on the case has revealed that the couple went to Argos on Whitechapel Road in London to buy camping gear.
Mark went in by himself and bought two big bags full of items with cash, which included a blue two-person tent, two sleeping bags and two pillows before leaving the store at around 6.40pm. They then walked round the area for more than three hours, trying to flag down three black cabs, but all refused.
READ MORE: 'Hero' son dies trying to save dad from e-bike house fire
They then left the area on foot and were last seen walking along Brick Lane, towards Bethnal Green Road, at around 10pm on Saturday, January 7. Mark is often seen walking alone ahead of Constance and the baby.
Prior to the recent update, the couple were seen after the car they were travelling in broke down on the M61 near Bolton, Greater Manchester. Constance is said to have given birth "very recently".
She and the baby's father were spotted at around 6.30pm on Thursday, January 5, after their car broke down near junction four of the M61 at Farnworth. The MEN reports that the car had only been bought six days earlier.
Intelligence provided by taxi drivers suggests that the couple paid cash to travel first to Liverpool and then to Essex. They later stayed at a hotel using false names.
In an update issued on January 10, Essex Police, who initially took over the investigation, said they believe the family travelled to Liverpool before being spotted in Harwich Port at around 9am on Saturday morning. Police said there is also a confirmed sighting of Mark, Constance and the baby in Colchester about an hour later.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are extremely concerned that a newborn baby – less than a week old at the time on 7 January – has been exposed to sub-freezing cold temperatures if Mark and Constance have been camping out somewhere as our evidence suggests.
“No child, especially a tiny, newborn baby, should be forced to endure such dangerous, potentially life-threatening, conditions.
“This is why it is absolutely vital that anyone with information about their whereabouts contacts us as a matter of urgency – whether it is with a recent or older sighting. Every piece of information is crucial to enabling us to find the baby and ensure it is okay.
“My officers will continue working tirelessly behind the scenes to piece together the family’s movements and current whereabouts. It could be that they are trying to blend in with homeless communities, either here in London or further afield, or they could be camping in more rural or wooded areas.
"They could be absolutely anywhere in the country. Please keep your eyes peeled, especially while you are out and about in waste ground or beauty spots, or while you’re walking the dog, and report any information, no matter how insignificant you think it is, to us.”
Anyone who has information on the family’s whereabouts should call 020 7175 0785.
Alternatively, information can be reported 100 per cent anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask for personal details and they do not trace your device.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
Murder suspect named after dad shot and covered in acid outside home
22 photos show lost Liverpool factory and those who worked there
Paedophile planned to pose as 'schoolgirl's' grandad during sordid McDonald's meeting
