Fresh NSW search launched to solve mystery of 3yo William Tyrrell's disappearance

William went missing almost six years ago. Photo / Supplied

Police have launched a new search in bushland on the NSW mid-north coast related to the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of William Tyrrell.

Police officers, SES crews and sniffer dogs have scoured the bushland around Herons Creek today as part of a coronial order from the ongoing inquest.

The search is taking place in an area about a 10 minute drive from Kendall where the three-year-old disappeared while playing outside his foster grandmother's home in 2014.

"NSW Police is committed to finding William Tyrrell, with the Homicide Squad's Strike Force Rosann continuing to conduct inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance," a police spokesperson said.

Search crews scoured bushland near Kendall this afternoon looking for clues in the William Tyrrell case. I’ll have all the details from the scene at 5pm on @10NewsFirstSyd #WheresWilliam pic.twitter.com/WzwI3qQW8M

— Lia Harris (@LiaJHarris) June 22, 2020

Investigators are focusing the search on an area where convicted paedophile Frank Abbott lived in a caravan at the time of William's disappearance, according to the ABC.

Abbott is currently serving 16 years in jail after being convicted of 10 counts of sexual misconduct against three children.

A coronial inquest into the toddler's disappearance previously heard how the 79-year-old would complain about a "peculiar smell" coming from the bushland near Herons Creek.

When someone known to Abbott suggested it was probably a dead kangaroo, he reportedly said, "I know the difference between a dead kangaroo and a dead human".

He reportedly didn't tell the police about the smell because he believed he would get blamed "if there's something up there".

Police also conducted another search of bushland near Kendall in February this year.

The search was understood to be in relation to an order made by Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame who is overseeing the ongoing inquest.