As the painstaking hunt for the five-year-old schoolgirl entered its third week, police vowed the operation was not being scaled back and would continue for months.

Superintendent Ian John said he could not rule out the search carrying on into next year.

"While we still have viable lines of inquiry, we will continue to search," he said.

"We could still be here at Christmas or the new year, [or] we could be finished in two weeks."

He added: "The numbers involved in searching are always under review. Hopefully we will find April soon. We are not going anywhere until we have done our job.

"We are here for the long-term if we need to be."

April was abducted as she played with friends on Machynlleth's Bryn-y-Gog estate where she lived, on October 1.

April, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was out late on her bike as a treat for getting a glowing school report that day. She was last seen getting into what is thought to have been a Land Rover Discovery.

Local man Mark Bridger, 46, was arrested the next day. He was charged with the murder and abduction of April and perverting the course of justice by disposing of her body.

He broke down in tears a week after her disappearance when he appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court on all three charges.