Missing Gaia Pope's mother: 'I believe miracles can happen'

The mother of missing Gaia Pope says "miracles can happen", as a man arrested on suspicion of her murder is released from custody.

The 49-year-old male suspect is from the Swanage area and is believed to be known to the teenager, who has not been seen for more than a week.

Dorset Police revealed news of the arrest on Thursday - the third to be made on suspicion of murder following the arrests of a 71-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, both of whom were also known to Gaia and were released under investigation earlier this week.

Confirmation of Thursday's arrest came just hours after police revealed they had found items of women's clothing in a field near Swanage, which police have now confirmed are a match for what Gaia, 19, is believed to have been wearing when she went missing.

Gaia, from Langton Matravers, is said to have been wearing a red checked shirt with white buttons, grey and white woven leggings and white trainers when she was last seen at an address in Manor Gardens on Morrison Road, Swanage on 7 November.

Extensive searches of the land and coastline in the area, by air, land, and sea, have been ongoing since she disappeared and on Friday her mother, Natasha Pope, posted an emotional appeal for further help in finding her daughter on the Facebook group, FIND GAIA.

She wrote: "I believe in this community and I believe miracles can happen. I am holding onto hope, along with Gaia's sisters and the whole family who are my strength.

"Please hold on with us. My eternal thanks to everyone who is out there searching for my little girl. Please come out over the weekend and do what you can. Every one of you makes a difference."

Detective Superintendent Paul Kessell said on Friday that the search for Gaia would continue "over many square miles" of varied terrain, from grassland to cliffs on the coast.

He continued: "Yesterday and today specialist officers and teams, supported by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, the coastguard, national search advisors and the NPAS helicopter, have been conducting detailed searches and forensic examinations of fields and open areas.

"Wide area searches have also been carried out with the assistance of Dorset Search and Rescue and volunteers in the community. Our search area spans over many square miles of grassland, gorse, bracken and undulating difficult terrain and the public can expect to see officers continuing searches there for a number of days and beyond.

"We would like to repeat our thanks to them for their support and understanding as our large scale investigation continues. The community will be aware that this rural area surrounding Purbeck is a wide expanse of challenging ground, much of which is exposed to the elements.

"In addition, the cliffs along the coast are dangerous and the seas can be unpredictable. While we are grateful to the public's ongoing help, I would like to advise them not to put themselves in danger and to allow the specially-trained experts to cover this area in a controlled manner.

"Coordinated local volunteers who are in liaison with the police search operation are continuing to assist.

"I would like to renew our appeal to anyone who may have seen Gaia in the area of Manor Gardens and south of Priests Way since 3.30pm on Tuesday 7 November.

"Finally, and most importantly, our thoughts remain with Gaia's family at this extremely distressing and difficult time. Specially-trained officers continue to support and update them and their wellbeing is central to our actions."

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 16:301. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.