Police are hunting for a shovel thought to be connected to the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane.

The 22-year-old, from Essex, went missing in Auckland, New Zealand, on 1 December – the day before her birthday.

Ms Millane’s family had been in near-daily contact with her throughout her round-the-world, year-long trip and raised the alarm when she suddenly fell silent.

The University of Lincoln graduate’s body was found in the Waitakere Ranges on Sunday.

Jesse Kempson, 26, has been charged with Ms Millane’s murder and appeared in an Auckland court on Monday.

The address of the accused was given as the same Auckland hotel where the British backpacker was last seen alive.

Addressing speculation surrounding the case, Detective Inspector Scott Beard said Ms Millane’s body was found “intact” and that officers were looking for a long-handled shovel.

“At this point we don’t know where this item is,” he said.

“It could be anywhere between the Scenic Drive and central Auckland areas.

The floral tributes at the Titirangi roundabout grow larger for Grace Millane on 22 December, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. The British backpacker’s body was found in a section of bush just near Scenic Drive in West Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges on Sunday, following an extensive search. (Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

“Someone may have come across it, picked it up and taken it home. We need to speak to that person or anyone who has seen it.“

Officers said they have received ”hundreds“ of calls about the case and investigators were trying to establish a timeline of events.

On Monday, New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, gave an emotional apology to Ms Millane’s family, saying: “Your daughter should have been safe here, and she wasn’t, and I’m sorry for that.

“I cannot imagine the grief of her family and what they would be experiencing and feeling right now.”

Detectives said they had identified a “location of interest” after the investigation led them to a spot on Scenic Drive, a country road about 12 miles west of the city centre, on Saturday night.

Police search Waitakere Ranges area where Grace Millane’s body was found (Getty Images)

Speaking at the scene on Sunday afternoon, Detective Inspector Scott Beard said investigators had “located a body which we believe to be Grace” about 10 metres from the roadside.

The last confirmed sighting of Ms Millane was at 9.41pm on 1 December at the Citylife Hotel, when she was seen with a “male companion”.

After visiting Peru, she arrived in New Zealand on 20 November and had been “bombarding” her family with photos of her trip.

Police received a missing person report on Wednesday and began a major search and public campaign that saw dozens of calls made to a helpline.

Ms Millane’s father David Millane flew to Auckland and made a public appeal for help finding his daughter, who he described as “lovely, outgoing, fun-loving [and] family-orientated”.

Her brother Declan Millane paid tribute by sharing pictures on social media of him and his sister, adding the lyrics of You Are My Sunshine.

He wrote on Instagram: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”