Hampshire Constabulary have issued an urgent appeal to anyone who may have information regarding the whereabouts of two 6-year-old twin girls who have been missing since Sunday, 14 March.

The girls were last seen by their mother, Sally Plumber, at around 5.30pm on Sunday afternoon at their family home on Cemetery Road.

Miss Plumber told police she let the girls out to play in front of the house while she prepared dinner, but when she called them half an hour later they didn’t respond.

‘I shouted for them to come in because dinner was ready,’ Miss Plumber explained at a press conference on Monday afternoon. ‘When they didn’t come in or reply, I looked out the lounge window and saw that they weren’t in the front garden. They’d been out there playing with their Barbie dolls; I saw the dolls lying in the grass near the front gate but there was no sign of the girls.’

After searching the house and the surrounding area, Miss Plumber contacted the police. They are currently conducting a thorough search and appealing for anyone who may have been out walking on Southampton Common on Sunday afternoon to come forward.

‘We’re speaking to neighbours and asking anyone who may have been around the Southampton Common area at the time to come forward urgently,’ said Detective Inspector Bill Timber. ‘Cemetery Road leads on to the common, so it’s possible the girls wandered out of the garden to go and explore. We’re carrying out a search of the area and doing everything we can to ensure they’re returned safely to their mother.’

‘I just want them to come home,’ Miss Plumber said. ‘I just really, really want them home safe with me. They’re only little, and I keep thinking about how scared they must be. I feel totally powerless.’

Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Samantha and Marie Plumber can contact Hampshire Police or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers.

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From the Southampton Echo, 18 March 2010

Police find the bodies of two girls in the River Itchen

Hampshire Constabulary have released a statement saying the bodies of two young girls were found in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police searching for missing twin girls Samantha and Marie Plumber have found two bodies on the bank of the River Itchen, near the train track south of the A335.

At this stage, the bodies have yet to be identified. Police say no one has been charged with any crime, but a 58-year-old man has been taken in for questioning.

‘We can’t give any more details at this stage,’ said Detective Inspector Bill Timber. ‘We’re currently following up on a number of different lines of inquiry and we’re speaking to several people who may have information relating to the bodies.’

When asked if he could confirm if the bodies were those of missing twin girls Samantha and Marie Plumber, Detective Inspector Timber said he couldn’t comment.