Boy fled stranger danger

BY JONATHAN MARSHALL

A man tried to snatch a 10-year-old boy just half a kilometre away from where Aisling Symes vanished two days later, Sunday News can reveal.

The boy's story has emerged as police announce the investigation into Aisling's disappearance is to be further boosted by additional police staff.

The schoolboy was approached by a  man in his 30s two days before two-year-old Aisling's disappearance, Sunday News has learned. He offered to buy him sweets as he shopped in the Discount Food Mart, on Rathgar Rd, Henderson.

"I asked the shop person the price of the candy and, when she said $4, the man asked if he could pay for me and said I could go along with him. It made me feel weird,'' the boy said.

He ran screaming from the store, which is close to where two-year-old Aisling went missing from her late grandparents home in Longburn Rd last Monday.

The boy's mum, who is desperately concerned for Aisling, said: "It could have been anyone's kid and even ours. I always tell my son not to go off on his own but he doesn't listen.

"From what has happened in the last week in this area it is going to make me a lot more careful.

"I didn't like hearing about what happened in the shop with my son. Who knows if the guy was joking but my son did the right thing."

Police questioned the boy on Thursday and again last night for several hours.

Police spokesperson Noreen Hegarty downplayed the incident. She said police believed the man hadn't made any attempt to "abduct" or "lure" the boy away from his family.

She said police were not seeking the man. Asked why police then interviewed the boy's parents, Hegarty said they had to "take everything that comes to this investigation seriously".

The boy, who Sunday News has agreed not to identity, was in the superette around 12.30pm last Saturday while his mum and aunt were in Creative Cutz hairdressers nearby.

"I was by the candy and the guy came up to me and gave me a really strange look and started talking to me," the boy said.

He was concerned that the stranger, who described as about 33, Maori or Pacific Islander, wanted to buy him candy.

"That made me worried," said the schoolboy.

"Suddenly I ran out of the store screaming for my mum as I thought he wanted to kidnap me.

"I was scared, pretty scared. The man then got in his car and drove off and I told mum not to look at him in the face."

The brave lad knew he had to run away from stranger danger. "I've been told that if someone wants to give you something or take you anywhere you just say `no' and get away," he said.

The boy's family reported the incident to police after learning of Aisling's disappearance.

Harrison Williams, the owner of Creative Cutz hairdressing, has also been spoken to by police.

Aisling's parents Angela and Alan, who have another daughter Caitlin, five, have been made aware of the suspected abduction near Angela's deceased parents' home. Angela was cleaning the vacant house when Aisling wandered off.

Police said last night that "several people of interest have been profiled by the intelligence section and suspect team".

The investigation into the disappearance of Aisling is to be further boosted by additional police staff.

Already about 60 police are engaged in trying to locate Aisling, who went missing about 5.15pm last Monday outside her deceased grandparents' home in Henderson.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey said today those numbers would be increased again today and tomorrow.

He said police were continuing with an area canvas today and were still searching for a breakthrough in the case.

They were working through a list of persons of interest and through reports of suspicious activity, from information supplied by members of the public.

Aisling was last seen with an unidentified Asian woman who was walking a black and grey medium-sized dog in Longburn Rd. Police have still not traced her.

Inspector Gary Davey, heading the six-day-long hunt for Aisling, would not comment on the superette incident. He said in a statement: "We have not had any strong information that might lead us directly to Aisling."

Security guard Alan, who emigrated from Ireland 20 years ago, told Sunday News that the last 24 hours had been the most "difficult of the last week".

"We had a very unsettled night. The wait is so painful," Alan added.

"As time goes on it gets so much harder, but we are not giving up on our little girl. We never will."

Angela broke her silence on Friday.

"She belongs with us. She needs to be back with us."

In England, the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann expressed their sympathy with the Symes family.

Madeleine disappeared on holiday in Portugal in May 2007, just days short of her fourth birthday, while her parent dined at a nearby hotel.

Despite a massive worldwide hunt, she has not been found.

Mr and Mrs McCann said their thoughts and prayers were 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," they said in a statement.

"We urge anyone who has any information about Aisling to come forward to the local police as soon as possible and end this family's suffering."

- With NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News