Missing girls: Inquiry chief demoted as Met is sent in

Specialist Metropolitan detectives have been called in to review the handling of the hunt for missing 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman as the midnight deadline for their abductor to phone them passed without any breakthrough.

Last night Cambridgeshire Police also revealed that the officer in charge of the day-to-day running of the inquiry had been sidelined and a more senior detective is taking over.

The midnight deadline passed without anyone contacting the policeman leading the hunt for the missing 10-year-olds, Det Supt David Beck, who made a dramatic "call me" plea which was issued on TV and radio.

Det Chief Insp Andy Hebb said: "We don't know with certainty that Holly and Jessica have been abducted and therefore are not unduly anxious about the fact that no call has been received.

"If someone is holding the girls it is possible that they don't have access to Jessica's phone and therefore could not access the message left by Mr Beck.

"We will reconsider our options later today once we have taken expert advice about how this line of inquiry may be progressed.

"Our optimism about finding Jessica and Holly alive remains as strong as it was on day one of this inquiry. The fact that we have not received a phone call from a possible abductor has not changed that, nor has our commitment or determination to find both girls and return them to their families," Mr Hebb said.

In what is now believed to be the biggest missing persons hunt ever, almost half the police forces in Britain are assisting with the search for the two girls.

Acting deputy chief constable Keith Hoddy has now taken personal control of the inquiry while Det. Chief Superintendent Chris Stevenson will be working alongside the original senior investigating officer. The force insisted last night that the move was not meant to suggest criticism of Detective Superintendent David Beck's handling of the case.

Twelve days on, Operation Fincham appears no closer to finding the two schoolgirls amidst mounting frustration and criticism of the inquiry.

Yesterday the Cambridgeshire force conceded it was "very easy to get blinkered" and it was not "too proud" to call in assistance.

Det. Sup. David Beggs and a team of 27 officers from the Met's Serious Crime Group, the murder review team, began analysis of the case yesterday.

The news emerged after Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Tom Lloyd returned early from a holiday following criticism that he had not been in the UK to support his officers.

"We have requested that the Metropolitan Police come and review what we have done so far," a spokeswoman said.

"Clearly we need to make sure we have not missed anything and that we are doing everything possible to bring Holly and Jessica back. This is not the time to be too proud to ask for support and advice."

The investigation has been repeatedly frustrated by false leads. While reviews about other forces are not unusual, it is rare to call outside officers in at such as early stage.

DCI Hebb insisted that this should not be seen as any criticism of Det Supt Beck.

"It is a massive inquiry for one person to manage," he said. The inquiry needed 24- hour manning by the senior officer and Mr Stevenson had already been assisting, he said. There are now 420 officers from 21 police forces as well as the Ministry of Defence helping in the hunt for Holly and Jessica.

Det Chief Insp Hebb said they were now sifting through 14,000 pieces of information from the public.

While there had been no contact from the abductor following several appeals, he said there were numerous lines of inquiries still to be pursued.

"It is most certainly not the case that we are back to square one, we have many positive lines of inquiry and we are pursuing those."

He insisted the moves were not in response to any criticism levelled at the Cambridgeshire Police force.

In a poignant message, he added: "Holly and Jessica your parents still love you – they want you back safe as well."

Details of how to contact Mr Beck were sent to Jessica's Nokia blue 5110 mobile phone, not seen since the best friends vanished, by voicemail and text message. In a personal videotaped plea to an abductor, Mr Beck urged them to "work with me to stop this getting any worse than it is. You do have a way out".

The last known sighting of the two girls was at 7.20pm onSunday 4 August in their home town of Soham, Cambridgeshire.

However, yesterday there were reports that a woman may have helped abduct the two girls.