Police searching area east of Auckland for young child

A police eagle helicopter and officers were called out to the area near the Omana Regional Park, on Omana Beach Road, after a woman reported seeing a distressed child alone in the area. Photo / File

Police are currently searching an area in Maraetai, east of Auckland, after a young child was seen running into a nearby park late this evening.

A police eagle helicopter and officers were called out to the area near the Omana Regional Park, on Omana Beach Road, after a woman reported seeing a distressed child alone in the area.

Police northern communications shift commander, Inspector Cornell Klussein, confirmed officers were carrying out a search, but stressed that other than the initial report, there had been no official reports of a missing child in the area.

"A child was seen running along a track there - there's a big park there between Maraetai and Beachlands. [Someone] saw this child, looks like a 6 or 7-year-old, running and crying a little bit. That's what the person reporting it said.

"And when she tried to talk or engage with him, he wouldn't talk to her and he kept going. We haven't received a missing person report and so we're looking to see, just to be sure. But we haven't actually got a missing kid, as such.''

Local resident, Chris McKeen, said about 40 locals were out and about with torches, helping in the search.

"I've seen about 40 local residents and about 10 to 15 cars. At the moment, it's a community banding together to look for an apparent lost child,'' he said.

"Everyone seems to staying away from Omana [Regional] Park because they've been warned by police to stay away.''