Alice Gross disappearance: Suspect's bike found by Scotland Yard

Arnis Zalkalns was last seen on 3 September - a week after Alice Gross disappeared

The mountain bike ridden by a convicted Latvian 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.

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

Two properties linked to Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns have been searched by police.

Forensic searches were carried out on Thursday at his home in Ealing, west London, where Mr Zalkalns had been living with his partner.

On Friday police started searching a second property in Boston Road, Hanwell.

Landlord Radoslav Andric said the building was split into bedsits and Mr Zalkalns had lived there before moving out more than a year ago.

He said he last saw him at the property two days before Alice went missing.

Alice Gross was last seen near the Grand Union Canal on 28 August

Mr Zalkalns cycled to work on the same stretch of the Grand Union Canal where Alice was last seen.

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.

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.

Forensics officers have been searching the garden of the home of Arnis Zalkalns

On Thursday Det Supt Carl Mehta said Mr Zalkalns was not wanted in Latvia and he had served his time.

He also said the suspect had not been on police records in the UK and stressed police had no evidence suggesting Alice had come to harm.

Scotland Yard said it was in the process of obtaining an International Letter of Request to get full access to the file on Mr Zalkalns, who has been in the UK since 2007 and lived with his partner and young child.

The Met added it had not issued a European arrest warrant but was liaising with Latvian authorities over possible searches for Mr Zalkalns within the country.

He is described as 5ft 10ins, stocky with dark brown hair he normally wears in a pony tail.

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for anyone who has information that leads police to find the missing girl.