Child's body found in hunt for missing New Zealand girl (Roundup)

Oct 12, 2009, 9:32 GMT

   Wellington - New Zealand police searching for a 2-year-old girl who disappeared in an Auckland suburb a week ago found a child's body in a drain Monday night, police said.

   The parents of Aisling Symes, who was last seen on October 5, were told of the discovery although it was not immediately confirmed that the body was their daughter, Inspector Gary Davey told reporters.

   He said it was too early to know whether the child had fallen or been put in the drain or how long the body had been there.

   Police and fire-brigade officers began digging Monday behind a house near the spot in suburban Henderson where the girl disappeared.

   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 - 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.'

   Police said earlier that they believed 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.