Police scour West Auckland beach for missing man

Luke Mitchell

Police investigating the disappearance of a 37-year-old man have focused their search Bethell's Beach, on Auckland's west coast.

Waterview man Luke Mitchell was last seen by his flatmate on June 5 and reported missing on June 24. Despite repeated police appeals, there have been no further sightings.

Police believe Mr Mitchell's white Toyota Caldina station wagon was stolen from the Bethell's Beach car park on June 16. Registration plates belonging to the car have since been recovered by Police.

One was on a stolen vehicle used as a getaway car after an aggravated robbery on July 15, while the other was found in a Henderson stream on Tuesday. The car itself has not been found.

Officers were today combing Bethell's Beach with support from a Search and Rescue team and specialist cadaver detection dogs.

Detective Sergeant Geoff Baber of the Avondale CIB said staff and Search and Rescue personnel would continue searching the beach and its surrounds until this evening.

He said if the search was unsuccessful, the Air Force would be brought in to help on Friday.

"Air Force staff will assist us tomorrow morning from about 8.30 and we'll also have the continued use of the cadaver detection dogs," Mr Baber said.

- NZPA