Shamrock St, the site of an alleged abduction in Palmerston North.

A man has been arrested in connection with a child abduction in Palmerston North, bringing "huge relief" to the community.

Police confirmed on Thursday afternoon that a man was arrested on Wednesday night after a 5-year-old girl was snatched in Shamrock St as she and her sisters were on their way to Takaro School on Friday, February 12, about 8.30am.

The girl was found across town at Hind Place by resident Bill Gillilard, 91, about 2½ hours later.

MURRAY WILSON/ FAIRFAX MEDIA Police mark the scene at Shamrock St.

The man appeared in the Rotorua District Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody.

He was set to appear in the Palmerston North District Court on March 10.

The man's occupation and age were suppressed until the court appearance.

Murray Wilson/ Fairfax NZ. The 5-year-old girl had been on her way to Takaro School.

Shamrock St resident Gillian Skyrme said people had felt anxious about the event and the news of an arrest was welcomed.

"I think we all feel very relieved."

Skyrme said she hoped the incident didn't stop people carrying on with their normal routine.

"I think it's really unfortunate and I hope it doesn't make people worry about children walking in the community."

Another Shamrock St resident, whose son witnessed the alleged abduction, said the incident had brought the street together.

"I think we were all aware, whether we had children or not. It just made the street come together as neighbours.

"It's just a shame it had to happen like this."

Her son had heard the young girls screaming and ran outside to see what the commotion was about.

The three young girls walked by her house on a regular basis.

"There is a lot of relief around the neighbourhood," she said. "You're not looking behind your back now."

Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith said the arrest was a "huge relief".

He said the past few days had been a "harrowing time" for many people and there was a considerable feeling of "angst" among many people.

"Even though it was an isolated event, people with young children were worried."

He said it was a rare event to have in the city and in New Zealand.

"It could have happened anywhere in New Zealand. It is unusual, for certain."

Smith had regularly been in touch with the police in the past few days and had offered the family involved support throughout the ordeal.

"There was a little bit of a frenzy there for a couple of days."

He hoped the arrest would bring some normality back to the city.

Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway said the arrest would be a huge relief to Palmerston North families.



"As a parent myself it certainly made us a little bit more wary about letting our kids walk to school.

"I'm sure it has had a similar impact on a lot of other families as well."

Lees-Galloway praised the police for their hard work.



He said Palmerston North was a tight-knit community, but an arrest did not mean people would be any less wary.

"People won't relax immediately, people won't feel any more confident about their children's safety tomorrow. But I hope over time people come to feel more secure and feel more confident about their children's security."

Palmerston North City councillor Rachel Bowen, who holds the children and families portfolio, said she had been receiving concerned messages since the alleged abduction.

"Every familiy in Palmerston North was concerned and heartbroken for the victim and their family."

She said they could now be pleased that there might be a resolution.

"Huge credit to the police... it matters in our community, our community of young families."

Police area commander Inspector Sarah Stewart said she hoped this development would provide reassurance to the community, and she would like to thank members for their support and assistance throughout the investigation.

Takaro School principal Helena Baker Tumuaki said the news of an arrest was "a relief", the NZ Herald reported.

"As can be expected, we're relieved. We're relieved for the girl's whanau."

Police Commissioner Mike Bush also commented on the arrest and said it would give reassurance to the community.

"Whilst incidents of this nature understandably cause great concern, they are very rare.

"It is important that kids have information about how they can keep themselves safe, and I encourage all parents to talk to their children about how to recognise inappropriate behaviour and what to do when it occurs," he wrote on his blog.

Police National Headquarters spokesman Grant Ogilvie said police had to take all steps necessary to ensure the safety of the young victim, so the court appearance had been kept quiet until late Thursday afternoon.

"We may normally have given some notification [of the arrest] but we made the decision we couldn't do that here. We took the steps needed to protect the victim."

Ogilvie said they made their decision because some media had continued to run the picture and name of the girl "long after she was found".

A team of more than 30 police officers has been investigating the case.