A MOTHER is missing with her eight-month-old baby boy and her husband - a man who police say is a convicted sex offender.

Gwent Police say Helene Baker, 37, from Blaen-avon, and Gerald Baker, 46, from Brynmawr, picked up tickets for the Portsmouth to Cherbourg ferry for 23.45pm on Monday.

Mrs Baker had collected her son from social services in Ebbw Vale for a pre-arranged unsupervised visit lunch-time on Monday but has failed to return.

Police say the couple were travelling in a blue Ford Sierra estate car. The baby, who has not been named, had been living with foster parents. It is not known if the baby's parents are divorced or separated, but they lived apart.

A Gwent police spokeswoman said today: "They are believed to have gone to France. Gerald Baker is a convicted sex offender."

Police are appealing for Mr and Mrs Baker to contact them. Detective Sergeant Glyn Morvan, from Gwent police family support unit in Brynmawr, said: "Their disappearance is being treated as serious and initially we would urge them to contact us as soon as possible.

"There is nothing to raise our concerns at the moment but the sooner we can find them, the better it is.

"It is fairly early in the inquiry and we are trying to find out why mum didn't come back."

Mrs Baker is described as being of slight build with long, dark hair. She wears glasses.

Police officers have searched both Mr and Mrs Bakers' home addresses. Officers are now trying to trace their family and friends.

Detective Sergeant Morvan said police forces throughout the country had been alerted as a result of their disappearance.

Blaenau Gwent Council is assisting detectives with their operation to trace the family.

A spokesman said: "Helene Baker has worked alongside us and has had unsupervised contact with her baby for the past four and a half months without causing us any concern.

"Initially contact with her child was supervised and progressed to unsupervised contact through a considered risk assessment." Anyone with information i