The estranged father of a missing aristocrat Constance Marten has urged the police to investigate a Nigerian cult following claims she was 'brainwashed', it was reported last night.

Napier Marten, who was a Page to the Queen, has called on officers to look into the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, where she lived for six months under TB Joshua, a pastor he believes to be a 'phoney prophet'.

Ms Marten, 35, pictured, and Mark Gordon, 48, were last seen on January 7 buying camping gear from an Argos store in east London with their newborn baby after abandoning their car on the M56 near Bolton. Mr Marten said he hopes 'the police can now investigate potential links between any institution involved in making Constance and others suffer at the hands of the phoney prophet in his Lagos Synagogue'.

Mr Marten, who has previously appealed for his daughter's safe return, told the Independent: 'I remain deeply concerned for Constance, some five weeks after she and her baby went on the run. I just want them to be safe. I urge Constance, once more, to find the courage to turn herself in to the police.'

Ms Marten cut all ties with family and friends after meeting American-raised Gordon, who committed two armed raids at the age of 14, raping a woman at knifepoint and battering a man with a shovel in 1989.

The last known CCTV sighting of the pair was in Whitechapel at 6.19pm on January 7 – when they bought gear including a blue two-man tent, pillows as well as two sleeping bags.

Ms Marten was last seen pushing her child in a new buggy at 10pm that night.