Police extend detention of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon by 36 hours after body of baby found in woods

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, of the Metropolitan Police confirmed that the couple would be extended in detention for a further 36 hours after the body of a newborn baby was found in a woodland close to where the couple were arrested on Monday (February 27) evening.

He said: "An application for an extension of their detention for a further 36 hours was sought and granted by Brighton Magistrates' Court."

Police have also not confirmed the baby is theirs and said a post-mortem examination would take place and also said that it is ‘imperative’ that members of the public refrain from speculation.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “It is my very sad duty to update this afternoon, police officers searching a wooded area near where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon had been arrested found the remains of a baby.

"A postmortem examination will be held in due course.

“A crime scene is in place and work at the location is expected to continue for some time.

"This is the outcome that myself and many of the officers on the search, would hope did not happen.

“I recognise the impact that this new may have to many of the people who have followed this story closely and we can assure them that we will do that we will do everything we can to establish what happened.

Police urgently called this press conference outside Sussex Police HQ, which is nearly half an hour's drive from where searches have been taking place and the couple were arrested on Monday evening.

Having initially been arrested on suspicion of child neglect, the pair were further arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, according to the Met Police. They had been on the run for more than two months before they were found in Brighton.

They were arrested in Stanmer Villas at around 9.30pm on Monday (February 27) after a member of the public saw them in a shop in Hollingbury Place – but their newborn baby was not with them.

Before their arrest, the last known sighting of Constance and Mark was in Newhaven on Wednesday, January 8.