Campbell crash 'staged'

Emma Campbell has been missing since May 1. Photo / Supplied

The disappearance of Christchurch woman Emma Campbell is more likely staged than an accident, police say.

Miss Campbell, 29, has been missing since May 1 when her 1994 Toyota Corona ran off the road into thick scrub on Christchurch's Port Hills.

Police, having failed to find her anywhere near the crash site, say their efforts to trace Miss Campbell remain a missing persons inquiry.

Police are looking for two people seen in a light- coloured, square-shaped car reversing up a hill near where Miss Campbell's car crashed on that same morning.

"They are not suspects (in Miss Campbell's disappearance), or anything like that, because we don't have any," said Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae.

While the "low impact" crash by Miss Campbell's car may have had the initial appearance of an accident, in which she may have walked away or stumbled away injured, Mr Rae said it was now more likely the disappearance was staged.

"From two points of view, one is that (Miss Campbell) has staged it, or someone else has become involved and they have staged it - those options are both still open - and probably the more likely scenarios than just an accidental running off the road and her making off into the scrub."

"There's no preference of one over the other."

There have been reports that Miss Campbell had a history of staging things and had left her job two days prior to her disappearance. Mr Rae said if someone was sheltering her, then people would have to know about it.

"You wonder why someone wouldn't have come forward." Mr Rae said investigators would eventually run out of places to look and people to speak to, but active inquiries would continue at least into next week.