Missing baby's father spotted in Flaxmere

Police are closing in on a father who took his five-month-old daughter from her mother in Wellington after he was spotted accessing his bank account in the Hawke's Bay.

Edward Milne, 19, took his daughter from her home in the Johnsonville/Newlands area of Wellington yesterday afternoon.

Mr Milne accessed his bank account at a Post Shop in Flaxmere in Hastings at 9.20am today, Detective Sergeant Tim Veitch, of Wellington, told NZPA.

He did not have his daughter with him.

"He must have a friend or a family member or associate in that Flaxmere community who is caring for the baby.

"We would be urging that person to contact us.

"Our principal concern at the moment is just for the welfare of the baby -- she's away from her mum, she's very young, and he's not an experienced parent."

Police units in Flaxmere were now looking for Mr Milne, who is from Auckland.

Earlier, a sighting of him hitchhiking with the child on State Highway 1 at Otaki was reported about 5.30pm yesterday but then a sighting of a man fitting his description back in Johnsonville was reported about 7pm.

- NZPA