The occupants of that vehicle – aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon, a convicted rapist – have this week been found guilty of the gross-negligence manslaughter of their newborn baby Victoria, after "a lengthy, emotionally charged ordeal" that included a nationwide manhunt and two chaotic trials.

Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were arrested after a seven-week police hunt in 2023 during which they spent time living in a tent.

One of the most high profile manhunts in recent years started with the burnt-out shell of a car abandoned on a motorway. Reports of the Peugeot 206, which had broken down on the M61 near Bolton, first reached firefighters in Greater Manchester on the evening of 5 January 2023.