Police optimistic girl, 15, will be found

File photo / Martin Sykes

Wellington police remain optimistic about finding a missing teenager safe and well and are urging the public to get in touch with any information which could help them locate her.

Fifteen-year-old Olivia Rutherford was last seen by friends in downtown Wellington about 6pm on Friday.

Her yellow and white bag was handed in to the Westpac bank in Johnsonville.

Sergeant Cam Taylor said police had spoken to a number of people, including the person who found the bag, and were following several leads.

He said search and rescue staff were on standby, but police first had to narrow down an area for them to begin searching.

Anyone with information about where Olivia might be was asked to contact Wellington police.

"Any information we can get that people might have, small or big, you never know what small bit is going to help us resolve it," Mr Taylor said.

Olivia was described as a light skinned European of thin build, about 160cm (5ft 3in) tall, with strawberry blonde hair and blue coloured dental braces.

She was wearing blue jeans, white T-shirt and a blue cardigan.

- NZPA