HUNT FOR GAIA
Man, 49, arrested on suspicion of murder
DETECTIVES searching for teenager Gaia Pope were scouring fields above a 70ft cliff yesterday after items of women’s clothing were found.
Officers cordoned off the area near a beauty spot called Dancing Ledge on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast after garments similar to those Gaia was wearing were spotted by a member of the public.
The ominous discovery came as detectives arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of murdering the 19-yearold, who vanished 10 days ago.
It was unclear last night whether the detainee was Paul Elsey, 49, whose nephew Nathan, 19, was questioned about the mystery earlier this week.
Detective Superintendent Paul Kessell said: “We have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of murder. He is believed to be known to Gaia and from the Swanage area.
“It is our responsibility to investigate every avenue of inquiry and to investigate if she has come to harm through an act of crime.
“There are a number of searches ongoing and these will continue for some time. We have no reason to believe Gaia has left the Swanage area.”
Gaia’s distraught father Richard Sullivan wept as he made an impassioned plea for his daughter to return home. “Gaia, you know we love you,” he said. “I just want a big hug. We’ll get you back and we’ll have that big hug.
“The family is united together in this and we are united with the police and united with the public. I can’t tell you how grateful we are to everybody out there. We all love her. We want her back. We believe we will get her back, so that keeps us going. The help we get from the community, from every single person who’s been involved in this, gives us hope. That gives us strength.”
The clothing find came early yesterday morning to the north of the longdistance South West Coast Path.
Forensics officers at the search site could later be seen retrieving a white trainer which was similar to those Gaia was wearing when she disappeared.
Her mother Natasha, father, twin Maya and older sister Clara, 21, have all been informed. Gaia lived nearly two miles from the site in the village of Langton Matravers and was last seen on the afternoon of November 7 in nearby Swanage.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Devoto, who is leading the inquiry, said: “Following the discovery of these items of clothing, a full and thorough search will now take place in the field and surrounding area.
“Investigations will be carried out to identify who they belong to.
“We have updated Gaia’s family, who continue to be supported by specially
trained officers. Our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time.
“We are doing everything possible to try to locate Gaia. I would like to renew my appeal to anyone who has information about where Gaia is or what has happened to her to please contact Dorset Police.
“I am also urging anyone who has seen any suspicious activity in the area of Morrison Road and Priests Way since Tuesday, November 7, to contact us.” Police had earlier been seeking Mr Elsey, whose nephew Nathan, an aspiring actor, was arrested and questioned with his grandmother Rosemary Dinch, 71, before both were released.
Officers obtained a warrant to seize his car and to search the house of his father, Gregory Elsey, Mrs Dinch’s ex-husband, after he was last seen on Tuesday.
Forensics officers were still searching two maisonettes in Manor Gardens, Swanage, yesterday, where the grandmother and her grandson live. Although Gaia was an old schoolfriend of Nathan’s and had been staying at an aunt’s home near his house, it is not known whether she knew his uncle.
Gregory Elsey, 69, of Romsey, Hants, defended his son earlier yesterday, claiming he had “nothing to hide”. He said: “I’m going to see Paul today, he’s at a mate’s. They haven’t had any luck with Rosemary, they haven’t had any luck with Nathan, now they want him. When they first spoke to him, he said, ‘Here’s my phone, here’s my bank card. Do you want to search my car?’ He has nothing to hide.”
He added that Nathan, who appeared as an extra in the hit movie Dunkirk, “would not hurt a fly”.
Gaia, who suffers from severe epilepsy and does not have her medication with her, vanished after visiting Mrs Dinch’s home.
She had earlier been given a lift to the town by a relative and was caught on CCTV buying an ice cream at a petrol station.