Missing three-year-old Mikaeel Kular may have been spotted by members of the public just hours after he apparently disappeared from his home, police said today.
Several people have come forward to say that they saw a young boy matching Mikaeel's description around 8.30am yesterday walking alone in the West Pilton area of Edinburgh, near his home in Ferry Gait.
CCTV footage has confirmed the presence of a small child in the area, according to Police Scotland, although it is impossible to verify the child's identity.
Mikaeel's mother Rosie Kular, who last saw him when she put him to bed at 9pm on Wednesday, has told officers she is desperate to have her son back as soon as possible.
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Missing: Police are still searching for Mikaeel Kular, left, who disappeared on Wednesday night and is believed to be wearing a beige coat with a fur-lined hood, right
' Distraught': The boy's mother Rosdeep, known as Rosie, is apparently desperate to see her son
Hunt: Police today cordoned off bins in the Ferry Gait area, just a few metres from the block of flats where the little boy went missing
Police were today pictured sealing communal bins as they continued the hunt for evidence, with an army of volunteers from the local area joining them to look for the boy.
Last night Mrs Kular, 33, a beauty therapist, was being comforted by relatives at her home.
At a press conference this morning, Superintendent Liz McAinsh said that Mrs Kular was 'getting a lot of support' but was desperate to see her son again as soon as possible.
'She is very distraught,' the officer said. 'She just wants her little boy back home home with his brothers and sisters.
'We are very concerned for her. We just want to be able to give her some news or let her know he is safe and well.'
Thorough: Officers climb through woodland in their hunt for any possible clues to the mystery
Chipping in: Volunteers join officials to search the land on the shore a short distance from Mikaeel's home
Working together: Firefighters, police and volunteers formed one long line to examine the shore
Police want anyone else who saw the child yesterday morning to get in touch urgently as they work to confirm whether it was Mikaeel or another youngster.
They said the small boy matched the description of Mikaeel, although the child was also wearing a cap or hat.
Ms McAinsh said that the missing boy 'doesn't like wearing a hat or a cap, and to our knowledge he didn't have one'.
She added: 'Now we're in a position where we think it's something that's relevant, very relevant, and we're coming to you with this appeal to try and help us.
'We can confirm from CCTV inquiries that a child was indeed running down as described at 8.30 yesterday morning, but we cannot identify that child from the CCTV images that we have.'
The sighting of the child was in the same street where hundreds of volunteers gathered this morning to join the search, about half a mile from Mikaeel's home.
Scene: This map shows how Mikaeel escaped from his home in Ferry Gait and was possibly seen in West Pilton; rescuers have been searching the shoreline, while the coastguard has sent patrols into the Firth of Forth
Police probe: Officers combing the ground around Ferry Gait Crescent, where the boy lives
Police are investigating the possibility that Mikaeel left home of his own accord - but questions have been raised about how he could have opened the door to his block of flats.
Neighbours suggested that the three-year-old boy would not have been able to reach the button which releases the heavy door, then pull it towards him to open it.
Parents at the local nursery which Mikaeel usually attends said that he was not there on Wednesday because he was unwell, although his twin sister attended as usual, according to the Scotsman.
Ms McAinsh thanked locals for their help in looking for Mikaeel, and urged volunteers to gather this morning at a search centre set up by police.
'We are obviously deeply concerned that we have had no sightings of Mikaeel,' she said. 'All lines of inquiry in the investigation remain open, we are pursuing many lines of inquiry.
'I would ask anyone who has got any information to get in touch with us. We still have no evidence of any criminality at
this point.
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Crowd: Dozens of people volunteered at the North Neighbourhood Centre to help the search for Mikaeel
Looking: Police open bins as part of the search for evidence in the hunt for the missing boy
Standing guard: An officer outside the block of flats where Mikaeel's family lives in the Drylaw area of Edinburgh
She asked members of the local community wishing to help with the search to gather at the North Neighbourhood Centre at West Pilton Gardens at 10am dressed in warm clothes and sturdy footwear.
Following this morning's police appeal, dozens of people gathered at the centre to help the search.
Mother-of-two Nicola Hunter, 31, said: 'I just want to try and help. It's every mum's worst nightmare. It's just too close to home, to think that he was out there last night.'
Kimberly MacFadyen, who has a five-year-old son, said: 'I would be absolutely devastated if it was my wee boy and I would want every person in Edinburgh to stop what they were doing and come to look for him.'
Briefing the searchers, Inspector David Happs said: 'The community spirit here has been fantastic. That's absolutely recognised by ourselves and our real sincere thanks to everyone that has come out and helped so far.'
Asked whether she thinks the child will be found alive and well, Ms McAinsh said: 'I remain optimistic but as time passes we become deeply concerned. I would stress that this is still a missing person inquiry and we are treating it as such.
She said that more than 150 members of the public had phoned in to a helpline set up to assist the search for Mikaeel.
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Concern: Mrs Kumar, 33, is said to be very worried about her son as she is comforted by family members
Keen: Volunteers are believed to have come from all over Scotland to the centre in Edinburgh
Army: A group of volunteers dressed to protect themselves from harsh January weather
Concern: Many of those volunteering said they were parents themselves and were inspired by their devotion to their own children
CCTV from the scene has been examined but has turned up 'nothing significant' so far, she said.
Mikaeel's image is set to be featured on 'digital billboards' across Britain today in a bid to increase awareness of his case.
Ms McAinsh said she was not aware of any tension in the family that would have caused Mikaeel to run away, adding: 'We have spoken to his father. All of his family have been very, very helpful to the police.
'They continue to help us with our inquiries and obviously we are keen to get as much information as we can from them as we just never know who might hold that vital bit of information that will help us find him.'
Police say it was the boy's mother who discovered he was missing at 7.20am, and then saw his coat, gloves and shoes had also gone.
A nationwide missing child alert has been sent to all police forces, normally used in abduction cases, although detectives say their search is still centred around his home.
Painstaking: Hundreds of police are combing the area for any sign of the three-year-old's movements
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Looking: Police today getting down on the ground to search for possible evidence
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Climb: Officers scale a fence as the search continues for Mikaeel after he went missing from his bedroom
Police are going door-to-door, and searching gardens for the toddler, while the coastguard and mountain rescue experts have been called in to help because they are used to hunting for missing people at night.
Mikaeel had felt unwell on Wednesday night and was allowed to stay in his room on his own, which he usually shares with his twin sister.
He also has three other siblings, who were also in the house with his mother at the time of his disappearance.
The superintendent said they had spoken to all 'key' members of the boy's family who are assisting police and said this is a missing person investigation, not a criminal investigation.
Ms McAinsh said: 'There have been no arrests. There have been no formal detentions, but several people are assisting us with our inquiries.
'Those inquiries are continuing.'
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Search: Forensic officers line up as they comb Edinburgh for clue to the three-year-old's disappearance
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Plea: Superintendent Liz McAinsh told a press conference this morning that the hunt for Mikaeel was continuing
Mikaeel is 2ft tall and described as being of Asian appearance and of slim build.
He was possibly wearing a thigh length beige jacket with grey fur lined hood, black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top featuring an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and brown Clark shoes with two Velcro straps.
He has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left hand side of his mouth.
Police in Edinburgh had said there is no evidence to suggest criminality but that 'anything is possible'.
Nine riot vans sped to the area yesterday and it is believed a flat was searched in a block there, but Police Scotland said a man was arrested for an unrelated offence.
Forensic teams check a property during the search for missing three-year-old boy Mikaeel Kul
Police and forensic officers look for clues at the home of Mikaeel Kular where he went missing in Edinburgh
Detectives are trying to work out how the child managed to leave the property, and will have to consider if the child was snatched or if he slipped out of his bed, put on his coat and shoes and walked out - but Police Scotland say it is 'not impossible' he went on his own.
Temperatures in Edinburgh dropped to 2.3C (36F) on the night the youngster went missing.
Anyone who believes they have seen Mikaeel is urged to contact police immediately, and also check their home, garage or outbuildings for him.
Superintendent McAinsh said: 'Police Scotland is using all of the resources at our disposal to look for this three-year-old boy.
'Think about your own homes. Look everywhere a three-year-old boy may go'.
Asked whether she thought Mikaeel may have left of his own accord, Ms McAinsh told reporters: 'We know that his jacket and shoes are not within the property so we are following up all lines of inquiry in that regard. We don't know if he may have left of his own volition , but obviously that's one line of inquiry we are following up.'
The area around his flat in Ferry Gait has been swamped with teams looking for the boy
Officers say it was the boy's 'distraught' mother who discovered he was missing at 7.20am on Thursday
Searching for clues: These experts find a handprint on the door of a flat close to Mikaeel's home
Asked whether there were any custody issues with the family, she said: 'Obviously we are following all lines of inquiry, there are no concerns that we have at the moment .
'We are following all lines of inquiry with all partner agencies and with the family and the family are being very helpful at the moment.'
Ms McAinsh went on: 'We're asking everybody who lives in that area or who travels through that area or works in that area to keep their eyes open for this wee boy.
'He is just a three-year-old so he won't know his way about the local area. Anyone who sees him, we would ask them to immediately look after his safety and get in contact with the police.
'I would ask local residents to think about their own homes, gardens and outbuildings, their bins, to have a look and see, anywhere you think a three-year-old boy might be to have a look for us, if you are out walking in the locality, and keep your eyes open in the parks as well.
'At this stage we're keeping an open mind, we're following up all lines of inquiry that we have.'
She added: 'I'm not aware of any custody issues at the moment but there's many lines of inquiry being followed and one of them will be to speak to Mikaeel's father.
We're endeavouring to speak with all of the family members, obviously one of whom is Mikaeel
Lead officer: Police Scotland Superintendent Liz McAinsh appeals for information at Fettes Police Station in Edinburgh and said the hunt for three-year-old Mikaeel Kular is not being treated as a crime
Police cordon off the area around the property where three-year-old Mikaeel Kular went missing
Coastguard officers search the shoreline near Crammond after three-year-old Mikaeel Kular went missing
Neighbours have expressed their shock at what has happened.
Nicola Garrick said he is a 'beautiful, happy, wee boy' who she used to see playing in the stairwell of the block of flats he lived in.
Mother of one Jackie Brownlie, 29, said: 'It’s every mother’s nightmare to wake up and find your child missing.
'They are a lovely family and he’s a good little boy – so cute.
'She’s a great mum and they are all very well-behaved children. It’s a brilliant street with loads of kids. It’s just a quiet place perfect for kids.
'It’s hard to imagine how he got outside – the doors are so heavy he would have struggled to open it.'
Two coastguards searching the shoreline near Crammond after three-year-old Mikaeel Kular went missing
On the water: Coastguard Search and Rescue set off in their boat at Crammond Beach as search for the missing boy in Edinburgh continued this evening
Another neighbour, grandmother of one Nicky Garrick, 35, said: 'He’s such a happy wee laddie.
'He’s got an older brother and sister who play out front in the summer but he’s too young and stays close to his mum – he wouldn’t even cross the road without her.
'I was outside at 4am and it was very quiet. The police appeared at 7am – the whole street is worried for him.
'His mum is being comforted by the other children, cuddling them.'
Frank Arthur, 72, who lives in the flat above the Kular family, said: ‘I don’t think the boy could have got out by himself. It’s a heavy door. You push a button and then it whistles so you open the door. It’s quite a lot for a three-year-old, to be pulling the door open.’
Miss Kular, a dance music fan, described herself on an online profile as ‘just me, myself and I ...oh yeah, with a brood of five monsters, six if you count the man indoors!’
A former neighbour claimed the children may have once been left alone at home when Miss Kular’s former husband was due to pick them up for the day.
Patricia Kilpatrick, 72, said: ‘He had come to take the kids on a Sunday but he couldn’t get them from inside the house.
‘She had gone out for the night and hadn’t come home so they were there in the house by themselves. Soon after that the police arrived to sort out everything.’
Neighbours said Mikaeel lived with his mother but a man they believe may be the children’s father was also seen occasionally at their home.
In the House of Commons, Edinburgh MPs expressed their hopes Mikaeel would be safely returned to his family as soon as possibly.
Liberal Democrat Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West) said: 'My thoughts particularly are with the family in my constituency where a three-year-old went missing from his home overnight last night and I know we all fervently hope for Mikaeel Kular's safe return as soon as is possible.'
Labour's Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) also told MPs: 'I hope he is soon found safely and brought back to his home.'
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