Charlotte Bevan missing: Police release CCTV footage in appeal for Bristol mother who disappeared with newborn from hospital
Police urge that Charlotte Bevan is not in trouble and have asked her to contact them immediately
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Police have released CCTV footage showing a mother leaving Bristol Maternity Hospital with her newborn baby last night, and are asking the public to call 999 immediately if she is spotted.
The surveillance video shows Charlotte Bevan, 30, dressed in a long black top and trousers and white hospital slippers, as she walks down a corridor at the facility.
She then heads out of an exit at around 8:30pm to 9pm, with her 4-day-old baby, Zaani Tiana in her arms. The infant is shown dressed in blue, and wrapped in a multi-coloured blanket. The mother and daughter have not been seen since.
Staff at the hospital sounded an alarm when they went to check on Ms Bevan to find she and her baby had gone.
Police are scouring Bristol for the newborn baby and mother, and said they are probing a number of unconfirmed sightings.
Officers warned the public that Ms Bevan “may appear confused and worried”.
Her boyfriend, Pascal Malbrouck, pleaded at a press conference for Ms Bevan to return.
“Charlotte, please come back, you're welcome any time. The last two days as a family was amazing and I really want to do that for much longer. I'm waiting for you.”
Ms Bevan’s mother, Rachel Fortune, also appealed for her daughter to make contact.
“We all really enjoyed seeing you be such a good mother. Let's go forward with that. Please get in touch. We all love you. Just get in touch, please get in touch.”
Avon and Somerset Police have said they are “concerned” for the welfare of the mother and baby, and are “urgently” searching for the pair.
The force has directly appealed to Ms Bevan to get in touch and to let them know she and her baby are safe and well, as they believe the pair are not adequately dressed for the harsh winter weather.
DCI Simon Crisp stressed Ms Bevan has “nothing to fear”.
“This message really is for Charlotte. It is not a crime to take your own baby from hospital. It is simply not a crime, okay?
"We have spoken to the staff at the hospital and we are convinced you are a good mother. You are a caring, thoughtful mother who is attentive and you were looking after your five-day-old child in the best way possible."
He said Ms Bevan was making "great progress" since the birth of her daughter, and was due to be discharged from hospital in the coming days.
He said: "What worries us is that given all that you have left somewhat unexpectedly from the hospital, you haven't told your friends or family where you were going or your intentions. That is really worrying for them and really worrying for us.
"All I ask is - please make contact, let us know you are okay. You've got nothing to fear.
"If you are a friend of Charlotte's and you know who she is, she has nothing to fear. Please come forward and tell us where she is."
A University Hospitals Bristol spokeswoman said staff had no reason to believe Ms Bevan was going to leave.
Friends have described her relationship with Mr Malbrouck as “happy” and said her disappearance is totally “out of character”.
Isaac Jack McCardle, a friend of the couple, told of the fraught hunt to find Ms Bevan and Zaani Tiana on Avon and Somerset Police's Facebook page.
"This is out of character," he said.
"I was out on the streets with a friend for over three hours and searched almost every road, park, alleyway etc in the area as well as high streets and found nothing.
"I was in a warm coat and now I'm back home and chilled to the bone so it is worrying. I really hope they are both safe and are all reunited soon," he added.
Additional reporting by PA