Seven-year-old boy's abduction from funfair uncovered something even more disturbing
Topics: Crime, True Crime, UK News, Police
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Handout/ITN Productions/Channel 5
Topics: Crime, True Crime, UK News, Police
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse and rape which some readers may find distressing.
Back in 1984, the heartbreaking disappearance of British youngster Mark Tildesley sparked one of the Metropolitan Police's biggest investigations into missing children.
Despite 'Operation Orchid' going on to uncover the existence of a depraved ring of murderous paedophiles, it was far for a cause for celebration for seven-year-old Mark's family, after it was discovered that he'd fallen victim to one of the most horrific crimes.
Mark's tragic murder is to be told on television as part of a brand new true-crime documentary launched by Channel 5, titled Child Snatchers: A Day At The Fair.
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On 1 July 1984, Mark set off from his home in Wokingham with the hope of attending a funfair in his local area, having saved up money he'd earned from returning trolleys to a nearby Tesco supermarket.
He set off at around 5.30pm, promising his parents he'd be home in time for his 7.30pm curfew.
After he failed to return home, his parents ventured to the funfair, but the only trace of their son was his bicycle which had been chained to a railing in the nearby area.
After alerting the police, a nationwide appeal for information surrounding Mark's disappearance was launched, with images of the child being plastered across the UK.
Thames Valley Police scoured all nearby bodies of water, over 100 British Army soldiers searched the town, and Mark's disappearance became focus of the premiere episode of the BBC television series Crimewatch UK.
All fairground members of staff were also interviewed, including Sidney Cooke, whom colleagues said had previously exhibited suspicious behaviour towards young boys in the past.
He claimed, however, that on the evening of Mark's disappearance, he'd been working at a different funfair in London, leading him to be eliminated by police.
Two weeks after Mark's parents alerted police to his disappearance, Detective Superintendent Roger Nicklin told press they still had 'absolutely no idea' of the fate that befell the youngster.
Slowly, the search for Mark died down.
It wasn't until five years later that the Metropolitan Police launched an enquiry into the disappearance of missing children, after the press released a story suggesting a link between Mark and a series of attempted abductions of young children in the Wokingham area.
As part of the investigation, in 1990, police were led to the doorstep of convicted paedophile Leslie Bailey, who was already serving time at Wandsworth Prison for two separate child murders that took place after Mark's disappearance.
It was later discovered that Bailey had presented another hand-drawn map of where he claimed to have murdered Mark.
A letter was also found in the prison, written by Bailey and addressed to Sidney Cooke, implying the fairground worker was also part of a paedophile ring inhabiting the local area, which was subsequently named the 'Dirty Dozen'.
Eventually, Bailey revealed to police that Cooke had abducted Mark on the night he disappeared.
Bailey - alongside his lover Lennie Smith - had travelled from London to the site, where Cooke dragged the child into the back of a car, which Bailey had driven to a caravan owned by Cooke close to the funfair.
Another man, known as 'Odd Bod', was also picked up during the journey.
The four men then handed the young boy a glass of milk which had been laced with muscle-relaxant, before proceeding to rape him.
Further drugs were plied down Mark's throat, before Bailey realised he was already dead.
Bailey drove back to London, leaving Cooke to dispose of the child's remains.
Cooke - who was also serving time for manslaughter of another individual - failed to take responsibility to any aspect of Mark's murder, denying any involvement.
No charges were therefore brought against him after the CPS deemed evidence of his alleged role to be lacking.
As was the case for Lennie Smith, who tied of AIDS while serving time for a separate crime in 2006.
The individual known as 'Odd Bod' was also ruled out after police deemed him to have the mental age of an eight-year-old.
Before being placed on trial, Leslie Bailey was murdered by his fellow inmates, but was posthumously given two life sentences.
Mark's body has still never been found.
Child Snatchers: A Day At The Fair launches on Channel 5 on Tuesday 3 September at 10pm.