IT’S pretty rare these days, but when the children of Kendall actually do come outside to play, their games are enough to break your heart.

It’s not footy or skateboards or BMX. Instead they play “search for William”.

Since three-year-old William Tyrell disappeared from the NSW mid-north coast town just over two weeks ago, the children of Kendall have seen police searching their homes and rubbish bins, crawling through their roof spaces.

“They’ve started playing games where they’re searching for William and they pretend to call the police and ask them to come and help,” Kendall Community Pre-School director Susie Crowley said. “Sometimes they find him and other times they don’t.

“They’re a bit confused and they obviously feel for William. I think it’s their way of dealing with it.”

POLICE CALL OFF SEARCH FOR MISSING BOY WILLIAM TYRELL

FAMILY OF MISSING BOY WILLIAM TYRELL THANK SEARCHERS

William was last seen playing with his sister in the front yard of his grandparents’ home in Benaroon Drive on the morning of Friday, September 12. He was left alone for no more than five minutes.

media_camera The main street of Kendall is mostly deserted. Picture: Lindsay Moller

media_camera People walking down Railway St in Kendall. Picture: Lindsay Moller

media_camera SES and Police tape seen throughout bushland surrounding the small town of Kendall, where William Tyrell, 3, went missing. Picture: Lindsay Moller

His sudden disappearance sparked a massive search of the surrounding scrubland ­involving more than 300 local volunteers, SES officers, rural fire service personnel and police. The first thought was that he had wandered off alone into the bush.

But the complete absence of evidence — tracks, scent trails, pieces of clothing, blood or hair — has heightened fears he may have been abducted.

The mystery has drilled deep into the psyche of this normally unremarkable town where everyone knows their neighbours and residents keep a watch out for one another.

Business owner and mum-of-three Holly, who did not want her surname used, said she began locking her doors for the first time the day that William went missing.

“I’ve never locked them ­before, but I started two weeks ago,” she said. “I definitely don’t feel as safe leaving the kids alone anymore. It’s school holidays and normally there would be kids everywhere, but it’s pretty deserted.”

media_camera The Kendall town sign.

The owner of Miss Nelly’s Cafe, Jenelle Nosworthy, said many people no longer felt safe letting their children outside alone.

“They’re thinking twice about it now, which is sad ­because this is the sort of place where normally kids are playing outside on the street,” Ms Nosworthy said.

Kendall Community Centre volunteer Naomi, who also did not want her last name used, said the streets were much quieter since William had gone missing. She said: “Kids are normally just running around, toddling up the road to the neighbour’s house, but you don’t see many kids wandering around anymore.”

And it is not only the children who are absent from the streets of Kendall. The echo of voices calling out William’s name has also died away.

When they failed to find any trace of the toddler, the SES crews and volunteer searchers had no choice but to ­reluctantly go home when the search was finally called off last week.

At the home of William’s distraught grandparents, where the remnants of police and SES tape can still be seen fluttering from trees and grass, his anxious family wait for news.

Police, who have set up a taskforce including investigators from the sex crimes squad, wait too, hoping desperately that someone will call their Port Macquarie office with information that will break this baffling case.

Meanwhile, the families of Kendall keep a cautious watch on their kids.

“It just feels like this blanket has fallen on Kendall,” Mrs Crowley said.

“Certainly there’s been that reaction from the parents — they’re holding their children a bit tighter.”