Missing April Jones: Man arrested

A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of April Jones.

Within the past hour police have arrested a man just outside Machynlleth, and he is being held at Aberystwyth Police Station.

Five-year-old April is, however, still missing. Speaking to a press conference, Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan from Dyfed Powys Police said officers are continuing their enquiries with a view that April is still alive.

Police say the man is local, and they were actively looking for him. He was walking by the side of the road when he was seized.

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The man drives a vehicle similar to the one in the police appeal, police say.

Det Superintendent Reg Bevan said a vehicle was found at a separate location from where the 46-year-old man was arrested.

"We were anxious to speak to him", he told BBC News.

April was last seen getting into a light coloured van-type vehicle at around 7pm on Monday. She was playing with a friend on the estate near her home in Machynlleth, Powys.

The friend is understood to have seen April get into the vehicle "willingly".

UPDATE 1745: The A487, the main road leading from Aberystwyth to North Wales, has been closed in both directions as part of the inquiries into April's disappearance, BBC News has reported.

The area around Dyfi bridge will be closed until further notice.

Meanwhile the editor of the Shropshire Star Keith Harrison has tweeted: "Police on foot searching riverbank and hedgerows near where van found. Coastguard vehicle now on scene".

UPDATE 1755: Coastguard are on the scene and police are searching the River Dyfi and surrounding waterways, BBC News reports.

UPDATE 1805: The man arrested in connection with the disappearance of April Jones was "known to the five-year-old's family", the Independent reports.

UPDATE 1820: A woman has been seen by ITV News inside the cordon surrounding the spot where the 46-year-old man was arrested. It's believed she was in tears and a number of toys were seen in the car.

UPDATE 1900: Police are scaling down the public search for April Jones, as the presence of vast crowds may now "compromise" the search, BBC News reports.

Police will continue to search using specialist equipment, namely thermal imaging equipment.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101, or Dyfed Powys Police have issued a number for people who might have details about April: 0300 2000 333.