THE father of missing seven-year-old Daniel Entwistle has appeared in court and admitted that he breached an injunction banning him from seeing his wife.

THE father of missing seven-year-old Daniel Entwistle has appeared in court and admitted that he breached an injunction banning him from seeing his wife.

David Entwistle, 41, was arrested on Monday after going to the home he had shared with his wife Paula, 30, and three sons in Copperfield Avenue, Yarmouth.

A court order had been imposed last Friday banning him from having contact with his wife or visiting her at the house, and after his arrest he spent the night in the cells until his appearance at Norwich County Court yesterday.

The couple's seven-year-old son Daniel was last seen more than two months ago. His bike was found abandoned by a wall at the side of the River Yare in Yarmouth after his disappearance on the evening of Saturday May 3.

Despite extensive searches of the coastal resort and surrounding waterways, costing Norfolk Police £300,000 and involving more than 100 officers, there has been no sign of the schoolboy.

His parents made public appeals for his safe return at the time of his disappearance and have publicly declared that they have never given up hope of seeing him alive again. They have two other sons, Antony, 10, and John, two.

Mr Entwistle, a railway maintenance worker, currently on compassionate leave, represented himself during the hearing before district judge Barry Rutland.

Along with Robert Aldous, representing Paula Entwistle, he argued that there should be no press present for the hearing. But following the legal arguments from Mr Aldous, the judge decided to carry on with the case.

After reading a statement written by the officers who arrested him, David Entwistle admitted he had breached the order.

District Judge Barry Rutland said: "She (Mrs Entwistle) does not want to impose any further penalty on you over and above the time you've already spent in the cells."

Mr Entwistle said: "If the press are going to report it please don't nasty my children, please don't nasty my little boy. He's gone through enough as it is –enough nastiness."

Before allowing Mr Entwistle to walk free, Mr Rutland said: "Mr Entwistle you have very clearly committed a breach of an injunction. The circumstances of that are very personal to you and your family. You've been brought before the court, you have been held in custody for a period of approximately 24 hours, for my part that is sufficient to make the clear the importance of compliance with the injunction. I do not propose to impose any further penalty on you."

After hearing the judgement, David Entwistle wept and later broke down again outside the courtroom.