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Police confirm body found in Brighton woodland in search for couple’s missing baby

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 1st March 2023

Police searching for the missing baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have confirmed that a body has been found in Brighton woodland.

In a statement provided by both the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police this evening, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford explained that, further to the update given earlier today, “there has been a significant development.”

“This afternoon, police officers searching a wooded area close to where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested, discovered the remains of a baby,” DS Basford confirmed.

“A crime scene is in place and work at the location is expected to continue for some time.

“This is an outcome that myself and the many officers who have been part of the search, had hoped would not happen.”

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DS Basford confirmed that a post-mortem examination is to be held “in due course”.

“I recognise the impact this news will have on the many people who have been following this story closely,” DS Basford continued in his statement, “and can assure them that we will do everything we possibly can to establish what has happened.”

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He went on to stress that it is now “imperative” that media and members of the public “refrain from speculation and comments online” that could be “prejudicial to potential court proceedings”

“No further information about the discovery will be shared at this time,” he concluded.

The Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police have confirmed that Constance Martin and Mark Gordon currently remain in custody following their arrest, after an application for the extension of their detention for a further 36 hours was sought from Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

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Constance Marten and Mark Gordon / Credit: GMP

Earlier today, it was confirmed that more than 200 police officers in Brighton were continuing a second day of “extensive searches” for the missing baby.

It comes after 35-year-old Constance Marten, and 48-year-old Mark Gordon, both went missing, along with their newborn baby after their vehicle broke down close to Junction 4 of the M61 near Farnworth in Bolton on Thursday 5 January 2023.

Ms Marten was believed to have very recently given birth at the time of the disappearance, and had not received professional medial care.

Over the coming days following their initial disappearance, sightings of the couple were reported in a number of places across the UK – including Liverpool, Essex, south London and East Sussex.

Police and local authorities believed the then-missing couple had been sleeping rough in a blue tent, and had avoided being traced by moving around frequently and keeping their faces covered in CCTV images.

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But yesterday, after nearly two months of searching, it was confirmed by the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police that shortly before 9:30pm on Monday 27 February, a member of the public reported a sighting of the couple in Stanmer Villas in Brighton, and officers attended the location and subsequently arrested the pair.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of child neglect, police confirmed, and were later further arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

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Anyone who has information that could support the investigation is urged to call the Met Police’s incident room on 0208 345 3854

Featured Image – Met Police

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Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to submit ‘world record’ offers to buy Manchester United as other bidders are expected to join the race

Danny Jones Danny Jones Qatar Jim Ratcliffe world record bit to buy Manchester United

The deadline for the second round of bidders in the race to takeover Manchester United football club has officially passed, with multiple world record offers reportedly on the verge of being submitted.

Following the first round of bids, which saw a Qatar investment group headed up by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe both put in their initial offers, Manchester United set a second deadline of 9pm on 22 March for them to increase their offers and welcome other offers.

While the opening bids matched each other at £4.5 billion, working with financial advisors Raine Group who are brokering in the deal from the US, neither reached the Glazer family ownership’s estimations, who value the club closer to £6bn.

As a result, both went on to carry out further negotiations — each visiting Old Trafford last Friday and staying for upwards of six hours (more than 10 in the case of the Qataris) — but it is now thought they may no longer be the only parties involved in the bidding war. Whether it will be in time is the issue.

Kaveh Solhekol trying to clear up the confusion over Qatar and Jim Ratcliffe’s United bids.

Despite earlier reports that Sheikh Jassim and his associates had submitted a “world record offer” before the Glazers and Raine Group’s 9pm deadline (5pm New York time), Sky Sports‘ Kaveh Solhekol has now clarified that the bid was not submitted in time and that they have asked for an extension.

Man United are said to have agreed to the extension and Sheikh Jassim still remains confident that they have the “best bid” of the bunch.

Moreover, as per the likes of Mike Keegan, Jim Ratcliffe was also set to enter his second bid, with both offers said to have increased to around the £5bn mark. However, the INEOS chief exec is also said to have failed to meet the deadline and been granted an extension, according to a senior source.

Kaveh also went on to detail that multiple other offers have in fact been submitted, with the numbers said to be “approaching eight” different bidders.

Any bid of more than £3.75bn would break the world record fee for a sports club set when the Denver Broncos were sold last summer.

As for the frontrunners, both offers are still around a billion short of the Glazer’s asking price and not only have Sheikh Jassim and co. already warned they will ‘walk away’ if the price is too high, but it’s unclear how far Ratcliffe’s wealth can stretch if he is to continue pursuing a deal.

The key difference between the two bids is that Qatar’s bid will apparently make the club debt-free given the sheer mass of state wealth behind them, whereas the Failsworth-born businessman’s financing may be more complex to put together.

Trying to clear up the confusion, The Times‘ Matt Lawton said on Twitter that “both Qatari and INEOS representatives said their bids were in, United sources [are] saying they haven’t yet bid and have asked for an extension”, with offers now set to be made by tomorrow.

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As reported by Sky Sports earlier this week, it was thought that “at least five other bidders” and as many as eight in question could join the race along with Ratcliffe and Qatar, who were the only two parties to have submitted an official offer for United during the first round of bidding.

However, a detailed list of the other candidates and precisely how many are still yet to be confirmed; Kaveh did go on to suggest that some could simply be a form of “hot air” designed to hopefully urge the ‘serious bidders’ to edge their offers up even higher.

As for next steps, neither of the parties in the supposed two-horse race expect an immediate decision from the board, especially after the unexpected delay, and those who submitted new offers in the second round of bidding will have to wait at least seven days to hear back from the club and brokers Raine Group regarding their progress.

However, it is worth noting that these subsequent bids may not necessarily be attempts to buy the club outright and not only is there a feeling that a third round of negotiations could take place, but there is also a growing sense that the Glazers could still pull out of a potential buyout altogether.

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Featured Image — pxfuel

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Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone cameras are now being used for ‘detecting crime’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Cameras installed for Greater Manchester’s now-discarded Clean Air Zone (CAZ) scheme are apparently being used for “detecting crime”.

A total of 407 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras were installed across the region back in February 2022 ready for the start of the controversial £60 million scheme that never happened – but now, councillors in Bolton have revealed that the technology isn’t going to waste, and is actually being for an entirely different reason all together.

After Horwich councillor David Grant “raised concerns” about the cost of running the cameras at recent Bolton Council meeting, leader Martyn Cox revealed that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has been closely controlling them and using them “to good effect in detecting crime”, according to BBC Manchester.

“Now that the Mayor of Greater Manchester has graciously confirmed that the area of Bolton will most like not be subject to any clean air zone can the leader confirm that he intends to demand that the presumably now defunct cameras be removed?,” Mr Grant asked at the meeting.

He continued: “Secondly, bearing in mind these cameras are live and drawing electricity from our street furniture, will he be requesting a payment for electricity estimated Greater Manchester wide at £375,000 a month?”

Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone cameras are now being used for “detecting crime” / Credit: GMP

Council leader David Cox then explained to Mr Grant that information from the cameras released in line with data protection legislation has been used to support at least two murder investigations, one high risk missing person case, one county lines drug supply case, two separate fatal road traffic collisions, and an aggravated burglary.

“However, it is acknowledged that there are concerns around the use of number plate recognition cameras and allowing direct access to the cameras to organisations such as Greater Manchester Police when these are no longer required for a charging clean air zone,” Mr Cox continued.

“There is a commitment to undertake public consultation on the future use of cameras once we have a decision from central government on the investment led clean air plan.”

The Clean Air Zone was to initially hand motorists daily charges of up to £60 for some of the most polluting vehicles on Greater Manchester‘s roads.

But many will remember that the deadline for the scheme had been put on hold until while the plan was referred back to the government for “urgent review” in January 2022 after huge backlash and after Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded that it was “completely unworkable” for the region.

Greater Manchester Police has been closely controlling the cameras and using them “to good effect” / Credit: GMP

The government agreed to delay the deadline for the scheme until 2026, but local leaders wanted to scrap all charges and help to fund vehicle upgrades instead.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) then set out evidence supporting an investment-led, and, crucially for residents and motorists, a non-charging Clean Air Plan back in June 2022 – which it said was “the best solution” to address the roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) problem.

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Ministers are reportedly still yet to respond to this latest plan.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

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