A 22-YEAR-OLD man has appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court charged with murdering missing teenager Jayden Parkinson.

Ben Blakeley, 22, of Christchurch Road, Reading, has been held by detectives since Thursday and was last night charged with murder and perverting the course of justice.

He appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court this morning. 

Wearing a dark blue jumper, Blakeley spoke only to confirm his name and address and was asked to speak up by chairman Mohammad Ramzan. 

The two charges were read out - the murder of Jayden Parkinson between December 2 and 12 and perverting the course of justice alleging that he disposed of the body and lied to the police about the last time he had seen the 17-year-old. 

Blakeley was remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Crown Court tomorrow morning. 

The charge comes despite police not yet finding Jayden's body.

Jayden has not been seen since Tuesday, December 3. She left the One Foot Forward hostel in Iffley Road where she was living and went to Oxford Train Station.

She caught a train to Didcot Parkway, where she was seen just before 4.30pm.

Detectives arrested Blakeley, said to be Jayden's boyfriend, in Reading on Thursday night. He was been held ever since and interviewed by detectives.

It was just before midnight that Thames Valley Police announced they had laid the two charges against Blakeley.

A 17-year-old youth who was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday has today been charged with one count of assisting an offender and will appear at Oxford Magistrates Court this afternoon. 

Police have spent the weekend searching areas of Didcot and the village of Upton, looking for any clues as to Jayden's location.

It was on Saturday that Detective Chief Superintendent Andrew Murray said publicly that the missing person's investigation had become a murder inquiry.

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Mr Murray appealed for anyone who saw a man in his 20s in Upton with a light coloured suitcase at about 2am on Monday, December 9 or in Didcot half an hour later to come forward.

He is described as in his early 20s, white, about 5ft 6in to 7in tall, slim to medium build, with short dark hair. The suitcase was about 3ft by 2ft, about 15in deep and probably made of canvas. It may be pale blue in colour.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 and quote the URN 542 10/12 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.