Missing Baby at Heart of Brighton Couple’s Arrest
Police have turned their full attention to finding a missing baby after arresting Brighton couple Constance Marten and Mark Gordon. The pair vanished in January when their newborn was only days old.
Couple Snapped at Cashpoint Before Capture
The duo, clad in black puffer jackets, were caught at a cashpoint near their arrest spot after a quick police response to an urgent 999 call from a local man in his 30s. CCTV footage captured them without the baby, who remains missing and the focus of a desperate search.
Officers are combing through footage from the area surrounding the cash machine where the couple withdrew money before their capture.
Urgent Search Underway Across Sussex Downs
With fears escalating over the baby’s safety, the police have launched a major operation involving helicopters, drones, and search dogs scouring allotments and a golf course in Sussex Downs near Brighton.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford made a direct plea: “The search is now all about that baby.” The police are deeply worried about the child’s exposure to the elements.
Months on the Run Before Arrest
The pair’s escape began after their car broke down and was found burnt out near Bolton, Greater Manchester, on January 5. They spent weeks travelling across England by taxi, shaking off police tails before being spotted in Brighton.
Ms Marten and Gordon, a convicted sex offender, were discovered by a member of the public in the Fiveways area of north Brighton on Monday evening.
Officers continue to search Hollingbury Golf Course and Roedale Valley Allotments, urging locals to check sheds and outhouses. About 20 officers have been deployed in the hunt.
Community on Alert
Detectives urge residents across Brighton and towards Newhaven to stay vigilant. Marten and Gordon left their southeast London home in Eltham back in September after Ms Marten’s pregnancy. The couple’s frantic route took them from Liverpool to Essex and London, with CCTV showing them trying to hide their faces.
