'I won't let my daughter play outside': Town living in fear as search for Spiderman-loving William, 3, continues SIX days after he vanished from his grandmother's property



William Tyrell was last seen wearing a Spiderman costume at his grandmother's Kendall home on the NSW mid north coast on Friday



There's been no trace of the three-year-old in six days



Strike Force Rossann was established on Tuesday



Family friend says William's family are 'desperate' to find their little boy

Police expanded search area to three kilometres on Tuesday



Dams and waterways near the Kendall home will be searched again





In less than 24 hours, William Tyrell's trip to visit his grandmother turned into every family's worst nightmare.

On Friday morning the three-year-old vanished without a trace from the garden at his grandmother’s house, where he had been playing with his sister while dressed in a Spiderman costume.

His grandmother and mother went inside the home, in Kendall on the New South Wales mid north coast, at about 10.30am and within five minutes he was gone.

Neighbours say William, his sister and mother had only arrived in town the day before.

William's grandmother is an active and well-liked member of the tight-knit Kendall community, had recently been in hospital.

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William Tyrell was last seen wearing a Spiderman costume at his grandmother's Kendall home on the NSW mid north coast on Friday

More than 30 investigators have been brought in from the State Crime Command, Sydney, Manning Great Lakes and the Mid North Coast to look for him

The search for missing William Tyrell goes into its sixth day in Kendell

Kendell emergency services continue their search around nearby bushland

William’s grandfather passed away earlier this year and his grandmother needed someone to care for her in the house, so William's family had travelled from their home in Sydney to stay with her.

But by 11am on Friday morning they were forced to frantically call police to report William missing.



Within an hour phones all over Kendall were ringing as news spread that a young boy was missing.

In the six days since, search crews made up of more than 200 police officers, State Emergency Service volunteers and residents have scoured kilometres of bush surrounding the property.

Investigators have had hundreds of tips and possible sightings.

Police have scanned CCTV footage from local businesses, searched neighbours' properties and questioned locals, in some cases covering the same ground more than 10 times.

But no one has found a trace and police dogs failed to even locate a scent of the missing three-year-old.

There have been plenty of false leads for the investigation

On Tuesday, a crew of volunteers came across a patch of blood near a creek just over 2km from William's grandmothers house Searchers were sent away and a forensics truck arrived to investigate, but test results showed it was not human blood

Police are still investigating a number of tips, including reports that a 'well-dressed, well-spoken' man stopped at a local shop on Friday morning to ask directions to Batar Creek Road, which leads to Benaroon Drive where William was last seen.

But there have been plenty of false leads.

The Australian report that Family and Community Services have also been called into the investigation as police admitted the only hopes they hold for William being alive is if he had been abducted.

On Tuesday, a crew of volunteers came across a patch of blood near a creek just over 2km from William's grandmother's house.

Searchers were sent away and a forensics truck arrived to investigate, but test results showed it was not human blood.

Bush trackers have found clues such as a knife sheath and a set of small footprints but police have investigated all tip-offs from bush searches and still don't have a solid lead.



A man in the small town of Kendall waits at a bus stop for his kids, after the disappearance of William

The community fear that they won't be safe after the three-year-old mysteriously vanished from his grandmother's Kendall home

On Wednesday police received advice that there was no possibility William could still be alive if he is lost in the bush.

At the same time, police have ramped up the investigative side of their search for William and the possibility of 'human intervention' in his disappearance, bringing in investigators from the State Crime Command and officers from all over New South Wales.

Six days after he was last seen, William’s family are in despair as they hope for a clue that will help find their boy.

'They're under immense pressure and as you can imagine the numbness has most probably set in,' Superintendent Paul Fehon said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the community of Kendall is devastated by the prospect that something sinister could have happened in their small town.

Residents stop on the main street to share their bafflement and to compare stories of the hours they've spent searching in the bush.

Local women who have been volunteering the canteen at the search's central headquarters at Kendall Show Ground worry about how their children are going to be spending the upcoming school holidays.

Sandree Peterson, 71, who has been spending 19-hour days at the canteen serving food to worn-out police and volunteers, says the town has been changed forever

Police are still investigating a number of tips, including reports that a 'well-dressed, well-spoken' man stopped at a local shop on Friday morning to ask directions to Batar Creek Road, which leads to Benaroon Drive where William was last seen

Police received advice that there was no possibility William could still be alive if he is lost in the bush

'I won't let my daughter play outside,' says Paula Trad, 41.

'I've only been here two years but it's going to make it hard for a lot of people to let their kids out, everyone's going to be worried.'

Sandree Peterson, 71, who has been spending 19-hour days at the canteen serving food to worn-out police and volunteers, says the town has been changed forever.

'People are edgy,' says Ms Peterson, who has lived in Kendall for 26 years.

'Before this happened my next-door neighbour’s kids would go up to the skate park by themselves.

'Country kids say "Hi" and "G'day" to everyone but this will change the kids.'

Search crews will continue searching the nearby bush for William in the coming days but they are no longer operating at night.

Police are still appealing for information about any person or any vehicle that were seen in Kendall on Friday morning.

But as numbers of volunteers diminish, police are reviewing the scale of the operation, which could shut down by next week.

'We were hopeful of being able to find William before this but as time passes we continue to search for anything,' Supt Fehon said.

'Any lead, any evidence, or any hope of finding young William out there.'

The tight-knit community are refusing to give up hope for the toddler The community of Kendall is devastated by the prospect that something sinister could have happened in their small town Residents stop on the main street to share their bafflement and to compare stories of the hours they've spent searching in the bush

Fears are growing that three-year-old William Tyrell may have been abducted, as it's revealed police are investigating reports that a man asked for directions to the street the toddler was playing on before he disappeared from the front yard of his grandparents' home six days ago.



A man asked staff in a local shop for directions to Benaroon Drive, in Kendall, on the mid north coast of NSW, on Friday before 10.30am when the toddler went missing, Fairfax Media reports.



The news comes as experts have advised police there is no possibility missing boy William Tyrell is still alive if he is lost in the bush.



Investigators have found no trace of the missing three-year-old six days after he was last seen on Friday wearing a Spiderman costume .



A special task force has been set up on the fifth day of the frantic search for William Tyrell

Strike Force Rossann, based at Port Macquarie, was established on Tuesday and comprises of special investigators from Mid North Coast and Manning Great Lakes local area commands as well as personnel from State Crime Command and Forensic Services Group.

Ambulance Paramedics, fire fighters from Fire & Rescue NSW and Rural Fire Service volunteers, SES volunteers and community members from across NSW are also involved in the search after being moved by William's disappearance. Superintendent Fehon said the search operation had expanded to a 3km radius from William's grandmother's house, after the area within a 1.5km radius was thoroughly searched on Monday.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw any people or vehicles 'in the vicinity of Benaroon Drive or in the Kendall township on Friday to contact police'.

'We are not ruling out any possibilities, investigators are exploring every possible avenue of inquiry,' added. Hundreds of people including police, special task force officers and volunteers continue the search for the boy Along with the huge number of people carrying out the search on the ground, air and water searches are also being conducted William's disappearance has rocked the small community of Kendall Search teams have yet to find any trace of the little boy or any leads on his disappearance Strike Force Rossann, based at Port Macquarie, was established on Tuesday The search operation has expanded to a 3km radius and police are using dirt bikes to search the tricky terrain

More than 30 skilled investigators have been brought in to help.

'It's up to information from members of the public. Someone would know something if young William is not lost in the bush,' Supt Fehon said. 'Whilst we have our teams here searching and his survival is definitely our priority, we have an open mind and we are broadening our investigative teams at present.'

A special task force and dozens of officers have been brought in to assist There has been no sign of William for five days and hopes for his survival are becoming slim Family friend Nicole said the family has released more pictures of William in the hope someone in the community had seen him.

'There's extra photos out there now of William and they just want people everywhere to see his face, to know what he looks like and to just say and tell the police anything that they might know or any slightest bit of information that they have if they've seen him,' she said. Nicole said William liked playing outside but he did not have a tendency to wander off. 'He didn't live here [in Kendall] so he wasn't in the bush but he was definitely outdoorsy,' she said. The search area was expanded on Tuesday and people are scouring the bushland for the boy Many people from the local area have pitched in to help with the search efforts Specially trained investigators from the State Crime Command experienced in the unexplained disappearances of young children are providing support Police sniffer dogs haven't even found a scent of William in five days

'He loved being outside but he knew the limits, he knew the perimeters, he knew where to go and where not to go. 'He was taught really well about the places that he could play.' She added that William's family is 'completely distressed' four days after he first went missing. 'They just want William back,' Nicole said. 'As every day passes it's just harder and harder for them.

'They're just really grateful though of the police and the SES and the volunteers and the community continuing to maintain the search and maintain the hope.' Local police said there were 60 volunteer searchers on Tuesday, compared with 160 on Monday. There were about 100 police and SES members also searching. A friend speaking on behalf of William's parents, Nicole (left) said the three-year-old doesn't typically wander off and his parents were 'desperate' to get him back

Family friend Nicole broke down in tears as she addressed the volunteer and SES search crews before they set off on Tuesday morning Nicole said she wanted to say thank you on behalf of the family for their perseverance 'They're just desperate to find him,' Nicole told volunteers and rescue workers on Tuesday

'He is a happy, cheeky, adventurous little boy who doesn’t wander off,' a friend speaking on behalf of William's parents, Nicole, told the Today show.

'William is pretty much always happy. He was happy to play in the garden and be with his family.' 'We don’t know of anyone who has had prior contact with William,' he said.

'He was playing in the backyard and running around the house with his sister. We are going to continue to comb the area trying to come up with something.'

Police have interviewed William's little sister, but she did not know anything about what happened. 'She knows William is lost, she knows there is lots of people looking for him and she wants him back… she misses him,' Nicole said.

Superintendent Paul Fehon said police and sniffer dogs had not found any trace, footprint or scent of William but rescue teams would expand the search area on Tuesday

There are now more than 200 people combing the Kendall area around William's grandmother's home in a bid to find him

Fresh search and rescue crews from Sydney and Newcastle arrived in the small town to help on Monday



Police and volunteers scoured the search area on Monday night, which extends up to one and a half kilometres around where he was last seen

The Kendall community has banded together in the search for missing toddler William Tyrell. Some volunteers help to search while other volunteers are preparing food

'The family are just amazed that a community that doesn’t know this gorgeous little boy have come together… it’s just incredible and they are beyond words for everyone who has gone out looking for William.'

Nicole broke down in tears as she addressed the volunteer and SES search crews before they set off on Tuesday morning.



'I just wanted to come on behalf of the family and say thank you to all of you for your perseverance, for coming out here everyday,' she said.



'They are overwhelmed with the support from everybody that has been looking for their beautiful little William.



'They're just desperate to find him and beyond grateful to you all for everything that you're doing just keeping up the hope for bringing William home.'

William's parents have thanked everyone who is supporting them to help find the missing three-year-old



Supt Fehon said the boy's family were coping with great difficulty. 'It's fair to say the family, the grief is obviously consuming them at times,' he said. 'Their hope is actually despair at times.' 'But I have to reiterate that they indicated their great appreciation to everyone that's come along to help and try and locate young William.' On Monday, Supt Fehon said extra resources from the Public Order Riot Squad and additional staff from the Central Coast and Newcastle had joined the search. 'They're new relief, they're fresh eyes, they've gone back over ground but they haven't come up with anything at this stage,' he said. 'But we're going to continue with those fresh teams to retrace over and make sure there's nothing left unturned.'

Media Frenzy : The search for the missing three year old has gathered plenty of media attention. Superintendent Paul Fehon speaking to media on day four of the search

Police are conducting investigations into the disappearance as well as searching the nearby area with the help of SES crews

'Volunteers had turned up from as far as Lismore... we really want young William back home,' he added.

'They've been scouring everything... it is a very difficult task in a difficult terrain.'

Police and volunteers scoured the search area on Monday night.

'We would have hoped to have found him by this stage, now that we have not found him at present we'll continue with a very open mind and we'll look at all avenues,' Supt Fehon said.

Police deemed Monday a critical day to find the boy because there was a chance he was still alive.

'Everyone just wants to find the little boy,' Supt Fehon told AAP.

'A three-year-old child is full of adventure and we want to ensure we're able to locate him safely.'

'We want to concentrate on doing an extremely thorough search.'

The SES form a line across a field to continue their search for the missing three-year-old

The boy disappeared from his grandmother's garden while playing with his younger sister

Police are desperate to find little William Tyrell and have widened the search area

Police are using dogs on the critical fourth day of the search operation

Detectives said they want to concentrate on doing an 'extremely thorough search'

A neighbour on the street told Daily Mail Australia he met William's father who was 'searching through the backyards heartbroken and frantic'

A neighbour on the street told Daily Mail Australia he met William's father who was 'searching through the backyards heartbroken and frantic'.

The neighbour said that while he has lived on the street for seven years he did not know William or the boy's parents. He had however met the woman who lived in the house where William disappeared from.

'The boy came up from Sydney to visit a lady in the house,' he explained.

William's family have released photographs of him in a bid to help find him

The three-year-old is a big Spiderman fan and was playing with his younger sister when he disappeared

A close family friend of William's devastated parents, named Nicole, said they are 'desperate'

'It's been pretty full on. I've been here the whole time, people have been pouring through our back yards. I really hope he's found soon.

'Everyone in the street has been interviewed. It's really horrible,' he added.

The man said there hasn't been 'one burglary or incident' on the street the whole time he has lived there.

'It is a quiet peaceful area and it has been turned upside down.'

'When I heard I was on my ride on mower and saw a police car. Someone came running down the street. They said someone had just lost a kid. I took my dog for a walk and had a look for him. I wish he was found on the first day.'

Police told Daily Mail Australia the boy was 'living or staying' at the house at the time of his disappearance.

William went missing on Beneroon Drive, where it is believed his grandmother lives

Hundreds of volunteers across the local community have come together to help find William

A neighbour that has lived on the street for seven years said he did not know William or the boy's parents

Mounted police, dog teams, members of the SES, Rural Fire Service and local surf lifesaving club, and hundreds of volunteers spent all weekend searching for the little boy.

Police divers were called in to scour dams near the home, as the search, which widened to a 10 kilometre radius, became increasingly urgent on its third day.

However police concentrated on a 1.5 kilometre radius of the house, including dense scrub land.

Police predict the three year old is in a poor state of health.

'As time goes on, obviously the survival diminishes,' Superintendent Paul Fehon told Network Ten.

Police divers were called in to scour dams near the home, as the search, which widened to a 10 kilometre radius, became increasingly urgent on its third day

Police divers scoured the area including a lake near the boys Kendall home. Locals described it as 'every parent's worst nightmare'

'After three days looking for a young person, I think it's fair to say we would have liked to have located something at this stage.'

Kristen Dorward is one of the many volunteers who have driven miles to help search for William.

'It's a parent's worst nightmare. I was eating dinner last night and I thought "this isn't right, how can I pretend everything is ok?".'

The mother of two started searching on Saturday with her husband and friends and drove 45 minutes from her home again on Monday to try again.

'There are so many little places he could have been. We did our best to locate him in there but didn't find anything, not even the sandals.'

Mrs Dorward said she and her five friends walked through a nearby cemetery looking for William

Authorities and helpers have been combing bushland for the past few days

Police told Mrs Dorward that William was wearing a Spiderman suit and sandals when he disappeared.

'The rain over the past couple of weeks has caused lots of mud so we are potentially looking for a boy covered in mud... he could have lost a shoe... we were looking for torn material or a sandal,' she said.

Mrs Dorward and her five friends walked through a nearby cemetery looking for William.

'I got lost coming back up. There is no trail, there is a main path but when you wander off that... I was freaking out, if you were a three-year-old the chances would be slim to get up to the top of the hill,' she explained.

Police are using dirt bikes in their frantic search as hundreds of volunteers help look for William

'The poor boy... it's just terrible,' she added.

She also said that although she hasn't seen any of William's family members she heard that his father has been out looking for him the 'entire time'.

Police have blocked off the street that he disappeared from.

'It's too distressing as a parent to be out there,' Mrs Dorward added.

The area where police, SES, members of the Rural Fire Service, local surf lifesaving club and several hundred community volunteers are looking for William was expanded on Sunday.

Police say they have received a flood of calls with support from people hoping to help in the cause

Around 200 volunteers scouring bushland at Kendall since William went missing at about 10:30am on Friday

Police are hoping William is still in a position to respond to being called out to

Sunday's search was also described as a 'critical day' by local police inspector Kim Fehon, given William had likely gone without food and water for several days.

'I have briefed all the search teams that they are looking for a small boy who is likely to be curled up and may be covered and have found somewhere to hide,' she told Fairfax on the day.

'At this time we are hoping he is still in a position to respond to being called out to.'

The tight-knit community are refusing to give up hope for the toddler - with around 200 volunteers scouring bushland at Kendall since William went missing at about 10:30am on Friday, September 12, from the front yard of a home on Benaroon Drive.

SES search crews have been split up to search in different areas

Searchers are being coordinated and briefed at a designated meeting point at Kendall Showground.

Local supermarkets have also been donating food and water to feed the number of volunteers who are searching for the boy.

Jenny Atkins, a senior instructor at the Camden Haven Pony Club who's joined the search, said the volunteer's mood was 'pretty down' and 'worried'.

'We've had riders going out helping on horse back looking through the thick scrub,' she told AAP.

'It's rough country, they come back with leeches,' she said.

Since the search began the close-knit community has rallied around William's grandmother, Ms Atkins said.

'Everyone's feeling for her,' she said.

'Our community does support each other, we're very rural.'

On Saturday, Tanya Baker was one of the volunteers who went out on horse back to help look for William.

'Up since 5 am with two mounted police from Sydney, Whitby Park... covered acres and acres of the roughest bush you could imagine. All of us leaving tired, sore and dripping blood - even the horses.

Around 200 volunteers from the local community helped out to try and find the toddler. The search also involved SES, RFS, local surf lifesaving club members

Police predict the three year old, who was last seen on Friday morning playing in the front yard of his Kendall home, is in a poor state of health and has had no food or water for three days since going missing

'The horses started from the house where William was last seen. Riding through bush that humans would struggle to walk through. Stepping horses over barbed wire fences,' she wrote on Facebook.

'People were everywhere on foot. Polair flew overhead. Riding through thick bush we hear a generator and come to a dam with fire crews sitting watching the dam as pumps emptied it. SIGH... William is still missing... Feeling exhausted and very very sad [sic],' she added.

William is described as being of Caucasian appearance with dark hair and hazel eyes.

He disappeared from his house on Benaroon Drive in Kendall, about 35 kilometers south of Port Macquarie and close to Kendall State Forest.

Police say they have received a flood of calls with support from people hoping to help in the cause.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Alternatively Crime Stoppers can be contacted via their online reporting page.