'We cannot bring our innocent little girl home'

Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects as an emotional service took place for missing five-year-old April Jones.

A procession of up to 1,000 people walked slowly through the Welsh town of Machynlleth as normal life came to a standstill.

Hundreds gathered at the Bryn-y-Gog estate from where April was abducted last Monday evening.

With crowds wearing pink ribbons symbolising the faith many still have that the girl remains alive, the procession moved in subdued silence through the town.

Roads along the route were closed off as the sombre gathering inched its way slowly to St Peter’s Church at the heart of the mid-Wales market town.

The schoolgirl’s abduction has shaken the small community to its core.

Yesterday’s service was seen as the start of a process aimed at healing the community.

Rev Kathleen Rogers addressed the congregation as she offered prayers for April’s parents, Coral Jones, 40, and Paul Jones, 44, who did not attend the ceremony.

“We cannot bring little April, our sweet and innocent little girl, home as we had hoped,” said Rev Rogers.

“But our hope has now been moved on to sure and certain hope that she is in the arms of Jesus. Coral and Paul may not be with us this morning but we hold them very close in our hearts as we pray for them.

“There are hundreds of people today searching our town, our countryside, our river. Many hundreds more have been searching this last week.

“We thank them and we pray for them as they came to us in our hour of need and they continue to be with us.”

Rev Rogers said a service had also been held for the search workers at the local leisure centre yesterday morning.

Rev Rogers then read a poem on behalf of April’s mother called Mum.

The Bishop of Bangor, Rev Andy John, said that the tight-knit community had “touched the heart of people around the world”.

He said emails had been received from as far afield as South Africa and New Zealand — and even a church in Texas had made a donation.

Rev John extended his thanks to those who had helped including the “extraordinary effort” of mountain rescue teams.

“I want to thank the police for their professional dedication and we’re glad that they’re here for us,” he added.

He said members of the media have also shown their “deeply caring” side and he thanked them for telling the story of the town.

“That story today is encapsulated in this service,” said Rev John.

A young boy and girl carried a pink candle deemed “April’s candle” and the “Book of Hope” to the altar, which was then blessed by Rev John.

The service ended with the hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful while a CD called Hope, which was compiled especially for April, was played as the congregation left the church.

The five-year-old remains missing despite an intensive, ongoing search. Exhaustive efforts to find any sign of April continue unabated.