Police spokeswoman Catherine Feast: "It is a turning point in the inquiry"

Foster parents Jeffrey and Jennifer Bramley, from Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, vanished with Jade, five, and Hannah, three, after local social workers warned the couple that they might not be able to adopt them as they wished.

Cambridgeshire Police, who are conducting the hunt for the missing foster family, have already travelled to York to conduct further inquiries and the vehicle - a blue Honda Concerto - has been examined by crime officers.

The car was discovered after it was reported by a local man who became suspicious because it had been left outside his house for a number of weeks.

Police spokeswoman Catherine Feast said that the find was a "turning point" in the search for the foster family.

Clothing and documents were found in the car

"We do know that the car has got four new tyres and we suspect that a garage in the York area may well have carried out work on it fairly recently," she said.

Mechanics in the area are being called on to come forward with any information they may have about the family.

Coats belonging to Jade and Hannah were found in the boot of the car along with documents belonging to the Bramleys.

Ms Feast described the find as "very important", despite the fact that the car may have been abandoned for as long as five weeks.

Concern has been growing for the welfare of the two girls. A recent appeal for information was made by High Court judge Mrs Justice Hogg.

Jade Bennett: Sighted in Ireland

There have been several reported sightings of the children - three of which were in Ireland - since their disappearance.

The Bramleys, who have no children of their own, had been looking after the girls since March 1998.

The couple disappeared with the children, taking their passports and car, after an unsuccessful attempt to win custody through the courts.

The girls' natural mother, Jacqueline Bennett, has made a televised appeal for their safe return.

The supermarket chain Iceland has also agreed to print pictures of the girls on milk cartons to help jog people's memories.