Mark Bridger Charged with Murder of April Jones

Mark Bridger, 46, has been charged with the murder of five-year-old April Jones.

Bridger, a welder and butcher, is originally from Surrey but has lived in the area for over 20 years. He is a father of six whose ex-wife and three former partners live in Machynlleth, the Mid Wales village where April went missing.

The search for her body continues in the surrounding countryside. Teams have spent days searching the River Dyfi after April went missing on Monday evening. Specially trained dogs are being used in the search.

Twenty sites including woodland, a river and Bridger's most recent home, a cottage in the village of Ceinws, five miles from where April went missing, are at the centre of police efforts.

Bridger was first arrested on suspicion of child abduction and was being held at Aberystwyth police station.

April was born with cerebral palsy and suffered from irritable bowel syndrome and needed daily doses of painkillers to manage her condition.

Her father also has health problems, and was been unable to join the search for his daughter because he has a degenerative eye condition that prevents him working.