Villagers shaken from 'quiet life' amid search for missing girl

Residents in the Welsh village where abduction suspect Mark Bridger lived for the last month believe missing April Jones has never been there.

Police forensic teams are continuing their minute examination of the farmhouse where Mr Bridger has lived since early September.

Expert searchers with long batons were slowly and methodically walking in the garden and land around the house prodding the ground.

Outside, officers stood guard at the entrance to the property but activity appeared to be continuing inside.

The village of Ceinws is home to about 80 mostly-retired residents who have come in search of a “quiet life”.

That was shattered yesterday when the village was cordoned off and the farmhouse became the centre of renewed hopes of finding April.

With the road to the tiny community reopened today, residents spoke of how they are trying to come to terms with a new-found notoriety.

Vivian Williams Jones, 68, a long-time resident, said the farmhouse, called Mount Pleasant, had been empty for several years before Mr Bridger took it.

He said he knew he had moved to the house about one month ago because the owner came down to rent it out.

“It used to belong to a sailor called Nelson who lived there for years with his mother.

“It was eventually sold to someone from London who bought it as a holiday home and never came down here.

“I saw him about a month ago and he said that it was just too far for him and he was giving it the once-over before renting it out.

“I can’t say I’d ever seen him (Mr Bridger), apart from moving about inside.

“Although it’s a very quiet village, there’s not much that happens that people don’t know about. It’s that kind of place.

“I can’t imagine that she was here. But you never know.”

Friend and villager Carl Utteridge, 76, said he had spoken briefly with Mr Bridger when they were both waiting for a bus several weeks ago.

“He was living here and waiting for a bus into Machynlleth but we didn’t say much. He had only been living here about a month and we only spoke the once. Didn’t say much.”

He added: “It’s unbelievable to anyone here. You just don’t expect it.

“Nothing ever happens in the village. People come here for the quiet life. It’s a very quiet place.”