By NZPA / Chris Whitworth
The body of a young girl, yet to be identified, was discovered in a drainpipe under a Henderson property shortly before 8pm yesterday evening.
The body is believed to be that of missing two-year-old Aisling Symes, who disappeared a week ago.
The young girl’s body was removed from the scene shortly after midnight and taken to Auckland Hospital mortuary in a silver hearse.
A post mortem is to be carried out on the body at 9am today.
Police will hold a press conference at 8am today to provide further details on the body.
The Henderson property where the body was found is under police guard and is being treated as a crime scene
Investigators will continue to examine the area throughout the day.
At a hastily convened press conference at the scene about 9.30pm last night, the officer heading the search, Inspector Gary Davey, said police had spoken to Aisling's family.
"The immediate area has been cordoned off and is being treated as a crime scene," a grim-faced Mr Davey said.
He said it was not known how long the body had been in the drain, nor how it had got there.
"I know you have a lot of questions and so do I," Mr Davey told media and onlookers.
"Over the next few hours and days we will work through those questions."
Firefighters, using concrete cutters, and police had been excavating for about two hours on the property on Pomaria Rd, a Henderson street connecting with Longburn Rd where the two-year-old was last seen a week ago.
The property which is down a long drive, adjoins the back of Aisling's deceased grandparents' home.
Many residents were holding candles while some brought flowers and lay them at the scene.
A crowd of more than 200 people and media had gathered outside the property last night.
Earlier in the evening, a church service where prayers were being said for Aisling was interrupted when extended family left in a hurry, media reported.
Forensic teams worked late into the night at the site .
Council staff were called to Longburn Rd earlier in the day to help in the search, said Waitakere City Council's group manager of asset development Tony Miguel.
"They (the police) asked us to put a camera up the pipeline, and it appears the body of a child is in there."
The drain, at the end of the driveway at 5 Longburn Rd, was approximately 38cm wide.
It is believed the manhole cover was in place when police and council staff arrived, but there may be other entry points to the drain, Mr Miguel said.
Waitakere City Mayor Bob Harvey described the find as "the worst possible outcome".
It came after police spent the afternoon and evening excavating vacant land behind the property, beside a creek.
The discovery was a terrible tragedy for the family, Mr Harvey said.
"My thoughts are with them at this time. I want to thank the searchers, the volunteers and the police who never gave up the search for this precious little girl."
Ian Holmes, a long-time Longburn Rd resident, who lives two doors away and knew Aisling's grandparents well, was shocked to find out a body had been found.
Mr Holmes joined the hundreds of Aucklanders who turned out to search a tributary of Henderson Creek where it was initially feared Aisling might have disappeared.
"I'm about to bawl my eyes out", he told the New Zealand Herald website.
"I'm just gutted ... For God's sake, it's unbelievable .