MARK Bridger's conviction
for the murder of April Jones, aged five, has brought some closure
to the small community of Machynlleth, but "it can never be
complete," the Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Revd Andrew John, said.
Mr Bridger, who lived
locally, was found guilty last week of the abduction and murder of
April. Police evidence showed that he had viewed images of child
abuse and rape on his computer, and had dozens of pictures of local
girls.
The Priest-in-Charge of
St Peter's, Machynlleth, the Revd Kathleen Rogers, has become close
to April's parents, Paul and Coral Jones, and chairs April's Fund,
which has raised more than £70,000 since April went missing on 1
October.
In a statement on the
church website after the sentencing of Mr Bridger to life
imprisonment, Mrs Rogers said: "The people of Machynlleth have been
through the hardest of times since that terrible night in October
when little April went missing and the heart of her family was
broken. . .
"The deep sadness, hurt,
and anger we are all feeling has been made easier to bear by the
love and prayers of so many people from around the world."
Bishop John told Radio
4's Sunday programme: "I think there is a sense of
closure, but it can never be complete because, of course, we still
don't have April Jones. People are still bewildered and alarmed
that somebody of this character lived among them."
Call for internet curb. British MPs and
charities, including the Association of Christian Teachers, have
urged Google and internet service- providers to clamp down on
violent and child pornography after details of April's murder
emerged.
The chairman of the
Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, said that the
case illustrated the "need to act to remove such content from the
internet".
Priest suspended. The Priest-in-Charge of
parishes in Seacombe and Poulton, in Chester diocese, the Revd Ian
Hughes, was suspended last week after being arrested on suspicion
of possessing indecent images of children. A spokesman for Chester
diocese said that the Bishop, Dr Peter Forster, had suspended Mr
Hughes "immediately we knew of his arrest. Full co-operation is now
taking place with the police and the authorities."