Police arrest missing father

Sunday, 04, Jun 2006 07:50

Police have arrested a mentally ill man who drove off with his two teenage daughters, whom he had threatened to "bury" during a domestic argument with his wife early this morning.

Peter Elgey from Durham had been pursued by Durham police all day after he made off with his two teenage daughters, four kitchen knives and a spade this morning.

Concern over the welfare of his daughters heightened as details of Mr Elgey's mental health problems emerged. It appeared he had developed an obsession with knives, to the extent of sleeping with them in bed with him. After a massive row he wheeled his 16-year-old daughter, Marie, who suffers from cerebral palsy, into their Toyota van and drove off.

Mr Elgey's wife Edith called police who instigated a nationwide hunt for the father and his two daughters. Ms Elgey was concerned that her husband, referring to their daughters, had threatened to "bury them". As police explained at a news conference this evening, it transpired he had not been talking literally.

The crisis was quickly defused when Mr Elgey, Marie and 13-year-old Roseanne were found "safe and well" by police.

George Walker, a neighbour of the Elgey family, told the Press Association news agency how Mr Elgey's actions were completely out of character.

"I have never seen him angry and I just cannot believe it… he is just your typical family man. I just hope that the youngest daughter can talk him round and say: 'Let's just go home'."