Search yields 'worst possible outcome'

Last night's discovery of a toddler's body in Henderson, near where Aisling Symes disappeared, led to an outpouring of grief. Photos / Sarah Ivey, Brett Phibbs

Police last night found a child's body in a stormwater pipe metres from the Henderson property where 2-year-old Aisling Symes disappeared last week.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey told a hastily arranged press conference about 9.30pm: "It is with tremendous sadness that I have to report that shortly before 8pm, police and fire staff located the body of a young child in a drain near the address in Longburn Rd."

Mr Davey said police were dealing with Aisling's family, but he could not confirm the body was that of the missing toddler.

"It's too early to know how the child got there, or how long the child was in the drain."

Earlier, he said that although police had no direct evidence the toddler was there, "there has always been a possibility".

The body was found in a stormwater drain at 5 Longburn Rd, about 20m from the home of Aisling's deceased grandparents at No 7, from which she went missing a week ago.

Forensic teams were working late into the night at the site, which police said was being treated as a crime scene.

The Waitakere City Council's group manager of asset development, Tony Miguel, said council staff were called to Longburn Rd earlier in the day to help in the hunt for Aisling.

"They [the police] asked us to put a camera up the pipeline, and it appears the body of a child is in there."

The drain, at the end of the driveway at 5 Longburn Rd, was about 38cm wide.

It is understood the manhole cover was in place when police and council staff arrived, but it was likely there were other entry points to the drain, Mr Miguel said.

Waitakere City Mayor Bob Harvey described the find as "the worst possible outcome".

It came after police spent the afternoon and evening excavating vacant land behind the property, beside a creek.

Mr Harvey said council staff had told him a body had been recovered from a stormwater culvert. The discovery was a terrible tragedy for the family, he said.

"My thoughts are with them at this time. I want to thank the searchers, the volunteers and the police who never gave up the search for this precious little girl."

Long-time Longburn Rd resident Ian Holmes, who lives two doors away and knew Aisling's grandparents well, was shocked to learn a body had been found.

Mr Holmes, who was among hundreds of Aucklanders who turned out to search a tributary of Henderson Creek where it was initially feared Aisling might have disappeared, said he was about to "bawl my eyes out".

"I'm just gutted ... For God's sake, it's unbelievable," he said.

"We've lived here 30 years and known her grandparents very well."

Mr Holmes said he had heard the noise of a digging machine coming from the direction of Pomaria Rd yesterday afternoon, but did not associate it with the search for Aisling.

From about 4pm yesterday, banging and clanging could be heard coming from Longburn Rd.

Police stood guard at properties with access to the bush area above the creek, and a tarpaulin was erected to cover the search area.

Police and Fire Service staff worked among the trees, hauling out stumps, buckets of soil, and concrete cuttings.

NZ Herald reporting team: Rachel Tiffen, Andrew Koubaridis, Mathew Dearnaley, Yvonne Tahana, Beck Vass, Kara Segedin