As another day goes by without any positive sighting of missing schoolgirl Danielle Jones the strain is beginning to show on the man leading the investigation.

Det Supt Peter Coltman told yesterday (Tuesday) how the search for the 15-year-old from East Tilbury had consumed his life since it began 16 days ago.

As he spoke, Danielle's mum Linda was preparing to make an emotional plea for news of her missing daughter at a press conference today (Wednesday).

Numerous Essex Police searches and lines of inquiry have so far done little to suggest the whereabouts of the teenager who lives with her family in Hayle, East Tilbury.

Speaking frankly at Tilbury police station - the search headquarters - Mr Coltman said: "On an investigation like this you can't switch off.

"I go home and get on with various things but almost certainly end up thinking through what I have done and what needs to be done next.

"It is not a job that at the end of the day you can close down or forget about."

This is the first investigation of this nature Mr Coltman has led and he spoke of how he and his colleagues have been emotionally affected. He said: "We are a normal bunch of men and women and the vast majority of us have got families of our own, including myself.

"You can't help but feel for the people we are dealing with. The Jones's are going through an absolute nightmare and everyone working on the investigation has got real sympathy for them."

He said it was now a case of "keep on going" until there is a breakthrough. The search could soon be extended to the water if police decide to send divers into the River Thames, he revealed.

He added: "We have two main parallel teams, one is searching the other is gathering all the information they can. We will keep searching and appealing to the public for help until Danielle is found."

(Right) Home video - police have released this picture of Danielle with her pet rabbits

(Left) Hunt - Det Supt Peter Coltman

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