Police are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a newborn baby whose parents officers say are sleeping rough in freezing temperatures.
Missing aristocrat Constance Marten and her boyfriend, Mark Gordon, a convicted sex offender, were last seen more than a fortnight ago in the east London after purchasing a tent and bedding. Detectives fear their baby has been exposed to sub-zero temperatures and has not received any medical attention since she was born in early January.
Officers said on Tuesday Gordon went to Argos on Whitechapel Road at 6.19pm on Saturday January 7 to purchase camping gear, including a two-person blue tent. The family then walked through the area for more than three hours, trying to flag down three black taxis, all of which refused to take them on as passengers.
They were last seen walking along Brick Lane towards Bethnal Green Road at 10:01 p.m. that evening.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘We are extremely concerned that a newborn baby – less than a week old at the time on January 7 – was exposed to sub-zero temperatures if Mark and Constance have been camping somewhere, as our evidence suggests.
“No child, especially a tiny newborn, should be forced to endure such dangerous, life-threatening conditions.
“That’s why it’s absolutely vital that anyone with information about her whereabouts gets in touch with us urgently – whether it’s with a recent sighting or an older one. Every piece of information is crucial to us finding the baby and make sure he’s okay.
“My officers will continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes to piece together the family’s movements and current whereabouts. They may be trying to blend in with homeless communities here in London or further afield, or camping in more rural or wooded areas.
“They could be absolutely anywhere in the country. Please keep your eyes open, especially when walking through wastelands or beauty spots, or when walking the dog, and report any information to us, no matter how insignificant you think it may be.
Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family with royal ties and was an up-and-coming drama student until she met Gordon in 2016. Since then, the couple have led an isolated life, cut off from their family and his friends.
Starting around September last year, they started living in a series of Airbnbs across the country with short rentals and raised a significant amount of money to enable them to live off the grid and avoid the attention of the authorities.
The couple are believed to have driven away from a car fire in Greater Manchester, in which most of their possessions were destroyed, and traveled to east London in two days.
Each time they have been seen on CCTV their faces are covered and the baby is hidden, although taxi drivers used by the couple in the first days after their disappearance heard noises coming from a baby.
Gordon served 20 years in prison in the United States for rape and assault for attacking a woman in her twenties when he was 14.
Anyone with information can call the police on 020 7175 0785 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.
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