MANCHESTER police admitted last night they did not expect to find a missing five year old girl alive. Rosemary McCann is a member of the Irish travelling community and has been missing for four days.
A man has been remanded in custody charged with her abduction.
Det Supt Ron Gaffey, who is leading the investigation, said he had not ruled out the possibility that she was being held but added he was not optimistic. "I am extremely concerned and that concern is increasing by the hour."
Earlier, Mr Andrew Pountley (31), a disc jockey, of Kew Road, Oldham, was remanded in custody until tomorrow by the local magistrates' court after he was charged with Rosemary's abduction. She was taken from her bedroom early on Sunday morning.
Neighbours say they saw her being carried out of her house by a man. A motorist has said he gave a man and a girl, fitting her description, a lift to Oldham.
A police spokesman said Mr Pountley, who is known to Rosemary's family, will be interviewed again. It also emerged last night that Rosemary and her six year old brother, Martin, may have been left alone while their mother visited a friend.
Det Supt Gaffey denied allegations that the police had initially failed to react to Rosemary's disappearance, even though officers had only begun a widespread search for her on Tuesday.