The mountain bike ridden by a convicted murderer who is wanted in connection with the disappearance of 14-year-old Alice Gross has been found.

Scotland Yard said the bike had been recovered on Friday but it was not prepared to say where it was found.

Police began searching the Boston Road address and gardens in Boston Manor yesterday morning (Thursday) with police dogs and forensics.

Missing Person Arnis Zalkans

It has been reported that forensic officers have removed a large item wrapped in brown packaging and labelled "bike" from the house on Boston road.

Officers had previously started searching the home in Ealing where Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns had been living with his partner.

The schoolgirl was last seen on 28 August when she was spotted on CCTV by the Grand Union Canal in west London.

Mr Zalkalns, who used the same route to get to work, went missing a week later.

He was seen on CCTV on 28 August cycling along Brentford Lock at 16:00 BST, 15 minutes after Alice walked the same way.

Mr Zalkalns was last seen on 3 September and has not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone since. His passport was also left at his house in Ealing, west London.

On Thursday it was revealed the 41-year-old, who worked as a labourer on a building site in Isleworth, west London, served seven years in prison for the murder of his wife in Latvia after being convicted in 1998.

He was also arrested in Ealing in 2009 on suspicion of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl, but no further action was taken.