Teams to resume hunt for little April Jones

April's mother, Coral Jones, posted on Facebook that 16 teams and 12 dog handlers were due to resume the search for the little girl following a Christmas break.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that the search is due to continue despite bad weather being forecast in the Machynlleth area.

Mrs Jones posted an emotional message to say that she hadn't been able to stop crying after finding some of April's belongings around the house.

April went missing at about 7pm on October 1 when she was playing outsider her home in the Bryn y Gog estate in Machynlleth.

A massive manhunt was set up to search for her, but no trace of her whereabouts has been found.

Mrs Jones, 40, wrote on the social media website: "I can't stop crying today, I've been doing some housework and I've come across some of April's things and pictures.

"I love you so much April, please if you are that person out there who knows, please come forward."

Sian George, Dyfed-Powys Police spokeswoman, said: "Teams from across the country are due back in Machynlleth to continue the search."

Councillor Michael Williams, Powys county councillor for Machynlleth, said: "It is the town's new year resolution to stay strong for Coral and Paul.

"It is so very important for communities to hold together on such tragic circumstances. The police seem to have a great determination, so far as is humanly possible, to bring the search to a conclusion."

Last month, Superintendent Ian John of Dyfed-Powys Police described the hunt for April as 'one of the largest search operations in the UK in police history' and pledged to keep searching until all possibilities had been exhausted.

Mark Bridger, 46, from Ceinws, near Machynlleth, is charged with April's abduction and murder and perverting the course of justice. He is due to appear at Caernarfon Crown Court on January 11.