Digging starts in hunt for missing New Zealand child (1st Lead)

Oct 12, 2009, 8:20 GMT

   Wellington - New Zealand police and fire officers began digging Monday behind a house near the spot where 2-year-old Aisling Symes disappeared a week ago, news reports said.

   The development came after visiting British Lord Michael Ashcroft offered a reward of 50,000 New Zealand dollars (36,500 US dollars) for information on the missing girl.

   The case of Aisling - daughter of Irish immigrant Alan Symes and his wife, Angela - has gripped New Zealand the way the disappearance of English 3-year-old Madeleine McCann dominated headlines on the other side of the world two and a half years ago.

   Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, said in a statement from England, 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Aisling and her family. We wish Aisling's parents the strength and support they will be needing at this most painful time, and we join them in hoping for Aisling's safe and speedy return.'

   Thousands of New Zealanders have joined a Facebook site set up by a member of the Symes family to express their sympathy and support.

   Police said earlier that they believe Aisling was abducted after an intensive search of the area by ground parties and a helicopter found no trace of her. If she had been hurt or fallen into a stream, she would have been found, dead or alive, they said.

   Reports said that before digging began late Monday, police had mounted a guard on houses close to the place where she disappeared on October 5 as her parents worked on a family home at Henderson, 16 kilometres from central Auckland.

   An Asian woman with a dog who two witnesses said they saw talking to the child as she played near her parents has not been identified despite widespread appeals.