Grieving Coral Jones, 46, told how her world 'froze' when she heard that April, 5, had vanished while playing with pals outside her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales
THE mum of murdered schoolgirl April Jones has marked the anniversary of her death with a heartbreaking Facebook post about the day she learned her daughter was missing.
Grieving Coral Jones, 46, told how her world "froze" when she heard that April, five, had vanished while playing with pals outside her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales.
April - who had cerebral palsy - was killed by pervert Mark Bridger in 2012 after he snatched her on the Bryn-y-Gog estate.
In an emotional Facebook post, Coral told how April was last seen on a "normal day full of happiness and fun"
She wrote: "On this day you rode your bicycle to school, this was a common thing for you because due to your mild cerebral palsy riding was easier and like always your daddy brought it home again.
"Your day was a NORMAL day, a day full of happiness and fun, a day full of learning and friendships.
SIX years ago today, on the evening of Monday, 1st October 2012, the world felt like it had frozen.
Time stopped in that moment as everyone hoped and prayed that April would be found safe and well.
The world united in searching for April, but April would never come home.
A town UNITED to find a local little girl, an amazing community united to find April.
A community who will never forget such a very special little girl.
Monday 1st October 2012, a NORMAL day, it was like every other Monday for you little April.
Like every school day your daddy Paul woke yourself up and your brother Harley for school, your last school day - I hope it was magical princess.
On this day you rode your bicycle to school, this was a common thing for you because due to your mild cerebral palsy riding was easier, and like always, your daddy brought it home again.
Your day was a NORMAL day, a day full of happiness and fun, a day full of learning and friendships.
As school finished on Monday 1st October 2012, you were picked up from school and that night your parents also had parents evening - treasure each moment with your children no one knows what is written out for them.
You were taken to swimming lessons, I know you had not long started swimming lessons before you disappeared you loved the beach and the water, you were certainly a water baby.
The last known footage of you was taken at your local community centre.
A NORMAL day, but no one knew it was your last.
Your Mummy phoned your daddy and asked him to prepare tea for you and your little friend (as your daddy like many other times did not come to swimming lessons but waited at home with Harley) as you both wanted to go outside to play after tea.
Your daddy made you both spaghetti and toast, you ate it all up and went outside to play.
This surprise your daddy and you didn’t usually have a big appetite.
Your last meal was spaghetti and toast, I love spaghetti and I think of you when the little ones in my life ask for it for tea.
You got some extra time outside even though it was a school night because on this evening Monday, 1st October 2012 you had an amazing school report, your mummy and daddy were very proud of you and treated you for doing so very well at school.
It’s heartbreaking that in that very few extra minutes out to play you were abducted by a man who also attended that very same parents evening for his child at your school.
April loved out playing, no parent/child should be scared out the outdoors.
Children need fresh air. April had a right to play outside.
On Monday 1st October 2012, 6 years ago, 5 year old April Jones was abducted and murdered in Machynlleth, Mid-Wales.
A small knit town, a town where everyone knew everyone, it was safe to leave your doors unlocked and children played freely on estates together.
On Monday 1st October 2012, 6 years ago, a little girls life stolen brutally, a families hearts shattered, a community torn and strangers brought together by a very special little girl.
April should of been aloud to play out without coming to harm, being outside with friends after school shouldn’t have resulted in April being abducted and murdered and her body never found.
If you do anything today 6 years on, educate your children on the dangers of strangers and known adults, even people known to them can’t be trusted.
Because, no child should be denied the right to be outside and playing, children need fresh air and they need to simply be children.
But, ensure they are safe.
Ensure they stay close by your home and ensure they know that they are not to go with anyone, even if that person is known to them.
Create a password or safe word just for you and your child, ensure they know that if you have asked someone to go collect them that they can ask for the password or safe word.
If the person starts to panic, tell your child to run.
"As school finished on Monday 1st October 2012 you were picked up from school and that night your parents also had parents evening, treasure each moment with your children no one knows what is written out for them.
"A little girls life stolen brutally, a families hearts shattered, a community torn and strangers brought together by a very special little girl.
"April should of been allowed to play out without coming to harm, being outside with friends after school shouldn’t have resulted in April being abducted and murdered and her body never found
She begged parents to educate kids on the dangers of playing outside - and revealed that she always thinks of her when kids ask for April's last meal of spaghetti.
[boxout headline="What happened to April Jones?" intro="SCHOOLGIRL April Jones was killed by pervert Mark Bridger in 2012 after he snatched her on the Bryn-y-Gog estate."]April, five, was being allowed to play out late with her friends as a reward for doing well at school.
"As school finished on Monday 1st October 2012 you were picked up from school and that night your parents also had parents evening, treasure each moment with your children no one knows what is written out for them.
"A little girls life stolen brutally, a families hearts shattered, a community torn and strangers brought together by a very special little girl.
"April should of been allowed to play out without coming to harm, being outside with friends after school shouldn’t have resulted in April being abducted and murdered and her body never found
She also revealed that April's last meal was spaghetti and toast - and she can't stop thinking of her murdered daughter whenever a child asks for it.
SCHOOLGIRL April Jones was killed by pervert Mark Bridger in 2012 after he snatched her on the Bryn-y-Gog estate.
April, five, was being allowed to play out late with her friends as a reward for doing well at school.
Just 15 minutes later Coral sent April's big brother out to fetch her - but she had already been abducted by the paedophile.
The fiend was handed a whole life prison term after being found guilty of abducting and murdering April and disposing of her body.
Bridger - arrested two days later - claimed he had accidentally run her over but could not remember where he had put the body.
The twisted perv has always refused to reveal what he did with April's body - but cops recovered fragments of her skull from his fireplace.
She told parents that kids have the right to play outside - but need to be taught about potential dangers.
Coral wants children to be free to "simply be children", and know that even relatives could become potential threats.
She also advised parents to teach kids "passwords" that adults can use to let them know it's safe to leave with them.
Earlier this year she revealed that April's dad forgot she was killed after his memory was wiped by a devastating brain condition.
Paul Jones, 49, had to relive the nightmare of his five-year-old daughter’s 2012 murder after a cold sore led to him developing encephalitis - a brain-swelling virus.
She told how her grieving husband “broke down” in hospital when she revealed the reason why his precious little girl wasn’t coming to visit him.
She said: “I had to tell him she was no longer with us and she’d been killed.
“He broke down. It was an awful conversation because he was so emotional and it was so hard for me to speak about it.”
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