The search for missing schoolgirl April Jones has been officially called off, police said today.

The five-year old was last seen playing on her bike on Machynlleth's Bryn-y-Gog estate, where she lived, on the evening of October 1 last year.

Her disappearance sparked an outpouring of support for April's parents, with hundreds of people joining the search for their daughter and offering assistance.

Dyfed Powys Police today announced that the exhaustive search operation had drawn to a close.

Less than a week after she vanished, detectives charged 47-year-old local man Mark Bridger with child abduction, perverting the course of justice and murder.

He is due to stand trial next week at Mold Crown Court.

Although officers had given hope of finding the youngster alive, specialist teams continued to search the sprawling countryside close around her hometown.

But last week, April's parents Coral and Paul were delivered the heartbreaking news that they may never get to say goodbye to their little girl.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: "Since the beginning of October specialist officers from Dyfed-Powys Police along with other forces from across the UK have been searching the area in and around Machynlleth for five-year-old April Jones.

"The search areas identified during the course of the investigation were completed on Friday April 19.

"In addition, a reactive team of specialist officers are available to respond to any new information that is received.’’