Hundreds of people have gathered at a church in Cambridgeshire for a vigil for missing schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The service at St Andrew's Church in the town of Soham came as fears mounted that the two 10-year-olds, missing since Sunday, may have been abducted.

Relatives of the girls sat at the front of the church as prayers were said for the best friends and those searching for them.

Meanwhile Express Newspapers has offered a �1m reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the abduction of the two missing girls.

	:	Holly and Jessica
Maps showing focus of the investigation

And The Sun and the News of the World newspapers have offered a �150,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to solving the mystery behind the pair's disappearance.

At the emotional service, Holly's parents Nicola and Kevin Wells lit a candle for their daughter and her best friend.

Vicar Tim Alban Jones said the service was an "act of hope".

"This is very much an opportunity for us to come together as a community to express our hopes and fears for the safety and welfare of Holly and Jessica."

Prayers were also said for those searching for the missing girls.

Forensic tests

The service came after a day in which specialist forensic officers began to examine a van seized by Cambridgeshire police.

On Wednesday morning police removed the white van from a caravan park in the hamlet of Wentworth, 10 miles from Soham, where the girls vanished on Sunday evening.

But police are not describing it as a major development.

Relatives and friends of the girls joined in the service

It followed reports a man had been cruising the area when the girls disappeared.

At a news conference the girls' parents said the disappearance was completely out of character.

More than 250 officers, including 60 specialist search experts, spent Wednesday checking waterways and river banks for clues.

Derbyshire Police have loaned out the services of a statistical profiler who works on cases when children go missing.

Search co-ordinator superintendent Simon Edens urged residents living in and around Soham to "check, check and check again" any sheds and outbuildings on their land.

"There is still a chance the girls are hiding or sheltering," he told a news conference.

Detective superintendent David Hankins, who is leading the investigation, confirmed a white van may be "relevant to inquiries".

Police who led the hunt in Sussex for murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne and for missing teenagers Milly Dowler and Danielle Jones have been drafted in to help.

DS Hankins said: "Sadly, this inquiry is rapidly turning from a missing persons inquiry to an investigation of criminal abduction."

Anyone who's got children must know what we're going through

Nicola Wells Holly's mother

The last confirmed sighting of Holly and Jessica was at 1830BST on Sunday near the girls' homes in Soham when they are believed to have been on their way to buy sweets.

Holly's mother, said: "Anyone who's got children must know what we're going through.

"If they were able to get to a phone or get help, they would."

Jessica's mother, Sharon Chapman, said this was totally out of character because she was such a sensible and confident girl.

"Jessica doesn't like the dark, she would come home," she said.

Both girls are described as white, about 4ft 6in tall and slim. Jessica is tanned and has shoulder-length brown hair while Holly is fair and has blonde hair.

They were both wearing Manchester United shirts at the time, and police have asked other youngsters in the area not to wear anything similar, to avoid confusion.

Police have issued a dedicated telephone hotline for the public to call on 01480 422982.