LOCALS have told how they heard "shouting" before aristocrat Constance Marten and her lover Mark Gordon were arrested last night.
The couple were found by cops in Brighton – without their newborn baby – after 54 days on the run.
The couple were located on a residential street shortly before 9.30pm and an urgent search continues in the area.
And residents have now told how they heard a commotion in the lead up the arrests.
One woman who asked not to be named said; “I heard a lot of shouting about half past nine but I didn’t think much about it. The police came round at about ten but they didn’t tell us anything.
“I really hope the baby is OK but it has been really cold.”
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Meanwhile, a mum has described the dramatic moment Mark Gordon was arrested.
The woman said officers had swooped on the area shortly before, with dozens of cops on foot and in cars and vans.
She said she saw Gordon restrained on the floor just yards from her home.
She told The Sun: “There was loads of shouting and screaming. It was chaos outside.
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“I opened my door eventually to see this man on the floor restrained by police. He was then placed in an unmarked car and led away.
“It was very dark outside and dramatic.
“It was very shocking. The man did not struggle.
“They then drove off. Police have been here since.
“I pray and hope to God they find the baby safe.”
James Dunne, 28, who lives close by added: "I heard they’d been seen in the street and a call went out to the police. Within minutes the place was flooded with uniformed officers with lights and torches and vans.
"It was frantic. I’ve been told they’ve been searching for the baby all night and using heat-seeking cameras and other specialist gear. A baby that age wouldn’t last very long without heat and shelter."
Meanwhile Paul Cavill, 59, who lives on the road, said: "I'm shocked. The last I heard they were in Newhaven.
"I saw all the police and thought it must've been a stabbing. We get a lot of drug dealing in the woods.
"I'm surprised it took them so long to find them. There are allotments at the top of the road where people could hide in sheds.
"I hope the baby is alright but it is really cold. It's terrible and on my own doorstep."
Cops have been seen searching the woods behind Stanmer Villas where temperatures last night dropped to 1C.
And police are hopefully that the baby is still alive – and are asking locals to check their own properties.
DSI Bashford continued: “We are asking the public to remain vigilant in the local areas as they go about their business but also to look at the premises that they own – any outbuildings and their own property.
“Please take five minutes to take a look at those and assist us in the search for the baby.”
Miss Marten and Gordon were reported missing after their car broke down near Bolton, Greater Manchester, on January 5.
It's believed before they disappeared, Marten withdrew £15,000 of cash and the pair bought burner phones with multiple sim cards.
The pair ditched their burning car and a nationwide hunt for the three of them began.
They are believed to have spent time sleeping rough and travelling the country using cabs after being spotted buying camping equipment from an East London Argos on January 7.
Concerns grew for the missing aristocrat, 35, and her baby, as temperatures across the country plummeted.
Before they were found, the pair were last seen with their baby in Newhaven, East Sussex, on January 9.
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