Police in North Yorkshire today urged people to remain on the lookout for the missing Bramley family after Jeff and Jennifer Bramley sensationally broke their three-month silence.

The couple have written a letter pleading to be able to keep Jade Bennett, aged five and her little sister Hannah, aged three.

In a heartfelt plea addressed "to whom it may concern" and posted to local and national media, the Bramleys, who disappeared from their home in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, said: "Jade and Hannah were told we would be their forever Mummy and Daddy.

"They grew to love us as their mummy and daddy, as we grew to love them as our daughters.

"To take the children away from the loving, caring parents that they want is a crime not only against Jade and Hannah, but to all humanity and good parents."

The letter was posted from a location in Nottinghamshire and addressed to the Bramleys' local newspaper near Huntingdon and three national newspapers.

But police in York today stressed they had not ruled out the possibility the Bramleys were still in North Yorkshire.

Sgt Bryan Redshaw of York CID said there had not so far been a response to a CCTV camera image of what could have been the missing family in Hungate, Pickering, published in yesterday's Evening Press.

But he stressed the last confirmed sighting of the runaway family had been in North Yorkshire.

He said: "I suspect it is still a possibility that they are in the North Yorkshire police area. There would have been nothing to stop them going down the A1 just to post the letter. I hope that the people of North Yorkshire, if they have possible sightings, continue to tell us."

Meanwhile, the Bramleys' letter today left Jade and Hannah's natural parents bitterly divided over the little girls' future.

Jackie Bennett, aged 24, writing in the Express newspaper, said she would be contacting her solicitor to end her legal bid to win Jade and Hannah back.

She added: "I want my children to be settled in one place, in one school, with a loving family like yourselves.

"I will try to see if I can get you to keep my children."

But Paul Duckett, who is Jade's natural father, condemned Mr and Mrs Bramley's attempts to win public support.

He said: "This is a terrible crime. They cannot be allowed to get away with kidnap."

The Bramleys have been on the run with Jade and Hannah for 17 weeks. They began fostering the little girls in March but were told they could not adopt the youngsters and vanished the day before a scheduled meeting with social services officials.

Lesley Rick, of Cambridgeshire Police, said today officers searching for the missing family were "delighted" they had at last made contact.

She said: "We would just urge them now to get in touch and bring Jade and Hannah home."

Glenn Thwaites, of Cambridgeshire social services, added the Bramleys' letter had been "a great relief".

He said: "Nobody has ever doubted that they love the children. But the older girl should have been in school. She has missed her first term. The younger child is missing out on playgroup. We don't know what medical care they are getting or what conditions they are living in. We would just repeat pleas for them to come back so the future can be sorted out for Jade and Hannah and for the Bramleys themselves."

see COMMENT 'Loving feelings are not a crime'

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