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| Mikaeel Kular: 'Potential sighting' of missing boy | Mikaeel Kular: 'Potential sighting' of missing boy |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Police Scotland have said they believe there was a "potential sighting" of missing three-year-old Mikaeel Kular on Thursday morning. | Police Scotland have said they believe there was a "potential sighting" of missing three-year-old Mikaeel Kular on Thursday morning. |
| Members of the public have reported seeing a young boy alone at about 08:30 in West Pilton Gardens, close to Mikaeel's Edinburgh home. | Members of the public have reported seeing a young boy alone at about 08:30 in West Pilton Gardens, close to Mikaeel's Edinburgh home. |
| Hundreds of volunteers have joined the search for the missing boy. | Hundreds of volunteers have joined the search for the missing boy. |
| Mikaeel has not been seen since being put to bed at his home in Ferry Gait Crescent on Wednesday night. | Mikaeel has not been seen since being put to bed at his home in Ferry Gait Crescent on Wednesday night. |
| His mother, named locally as Rosdeep Kular, 33, put him to bed at about 21:00. | His mother, named locally as Rosdeep Kular, 33, put him to bed at about 21:00. |
| Supt Liz McAinsh of Police Scotland has been speaking about the possible sighting. | Supt Liz McAinsh of Police Scotland has been speaking about the possible sighting. |
| She said CCTV footage had confirmed the time of the sighting, but could not confirm the identity of the child. | She said CCTV footage had confirmed the time of the sighting, but could not confirm the identity of the child. |
| Supt McAinsh said: "Since Mikaeel was reported missing, we have been contacted by a number of people with information which we have been working to assess and respond to. | |
| "Members of the public have come forward to report seeing a boy walking in the vicinity of West Pilton Gardens at 8:30am yesterday. | "Members of the public have come forward to report seeing a boy walking in the vicinity of West Pilton Gardens at 8:30am yesterday. |
| "The witnesses were in a vehicle driving down West Pilton Gardens at the time they saw the boy. They described seeing a small boy on the right hand side pavement running towards the junction with West Pilton Park. | "The witnesses were in a vehicle driving down West Pilton Gardens at the time they saw the boy. They described seeing a small boy on the right hand side pavement running towards the junction with West Pilton Park. |
| "They noticed him because he was small in build and alone at the time. | "They noticed him because he was small in build and alone at the time. |
| "They said he matched the description given of Mikaeel although they also reported the child they saw was wearing a cap or hat." | "They said he matched the description given of Mikaeel although they also reported the child they saw was wearing a cap or hat." |
| Supt McAinsh said it was her understanding that Mikaeel did not like wearing a hat, and no cap or hat is thought to be missing from his home. | |
| A police helicopter, sniffer dogs, coastguard and lifeboat teams have been involved in the ongoing search. | A police helicopter, sniffer dogs, coastguard and lifeboat teams have been involved in the ongoing search. |
| Officers said they were now deeply concerned for Mikaeel. | Officers said they were now deeply concerned for Mikaeel. |
| Supt McAinsh added: "We would ask that anyone who also saw this child contact us as a matter of urgency. | Supt McAinsh added: "We would ask that anyone who also saw this child contact us as a matter of urgency. |
| "We need to confirm if this was Mikaeel or if it was another child. | "We need to confirm if this was Mikaeel or if it was another child. |
| "If it is your child who was out at this time and in this location, we want to hear from you so we can eliminate this line of inquiry as swiftly as possible." | "If it is your child who was out at this time and in this location, we want to hear from you so we can eliminate this line of inquiry as swiftly as possible." |
| Responding to a police plea for help, hundreds of people turned up at the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens on Friday morning to assist with efforts to find the boy. | Responding to a police plea for help, hundreds of people turned up at the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens on Friday morning to assist with efforts to find the boy. |
| They were briefed on where and how they should search, so that all efforts were co-ordinated and no area missed. | They were briefed on where and how they should search, so that all efforts were co-ordinated and no area missed. |
| Insp David Happs addressed the crowds gathered outside the community centre. | Insp David Happs addressed the crowds gathered outside the community centre. |
| He said: "It is important to us that you are supplementing the search and complementing what we are doing. The community spirit here has been fantastic. | He said: "It is important to us that you are supplementing the search and complementing what we are doing. The community spirit here has been fantastic. |
| "The search today is going to continue along the Silverknowes/Cramond foreshore area. Search advisers will deploy you in groups to ensure that we get a systematic and thorough search of that area done today, just so we have got confidence that has been covered." | "The search today is going to continue along the Silverknowes/Cramond foreshore area. Search advisers will deploy you in groups to ensure that we get a systematic and thorough search of that area done today, just so we have got confidence that has been covered." |
| The charity Missing People will be showing the three-year-old's face on big screens in public places such as railway stations. | The charity Missing People will be showing the three-year-old's face on big screens in public places such as railway stations. |
| Police urged anyone with information to telephone the 0300 200 0200 number and asked local residents to check their gardens, sheds, parks and lock-ups. | Police urged anyone with information to telephone the 0300 200 0200 number and asked local residents to check their gardens, sheds, parks and lock-ups. |
| The temperature dropped to about 3C in Edinburgh on Thursday night. | The temperature dropped to about 3C in Edinburgh on Thursday night. |
| Police Scotland said that more than 150 people had already called the hotline. | Police Scotland said that more than 150 people had already called the hotline. |
| Specialist teams are on standby and ready to act on any significant information provided, they added. | Specialist teams are on standby and ready to act on any significant information provided, they added. |
| The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said crews from nearby stations were assisting in the searches. Volunteers from the British Red Cross were also involved. | The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said crews from nearby stations were assisting in the searches. Volunteers from the British Red Cross were also involved. |
| A Facebook page called Missing Mikaeel Kular has had more than 10,000 likes since its creation on Thursday. | A Facebook page called Missing Mikaeel Kular has had more than 10,000 likes since its creation on Thursday. |
| Among the members of the public who turned up to search was Kimberly MacFadyen, 34, from Davidson's Mains, who has a five-year-old son. | Among the members of the public who turned up to search was Kimberly MacFadyen, 34, from Davidson's Mains, who has a five-year-old son. |
| She 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." | She 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." |
| Overnight, police issued a photograph showing the boy in the coat he was believed to be wearing when he disappeared - a beige hooded jacket with grey fur-lined hood. | Overnight, police issued a photograph showing the boy in the coat he was believed to be wearing when he disappeared - a beige hooded jacket with grey fur-lined hood. |
| He may also have been wearing 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 may also have been wearing 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 is 3ft tall and has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left side of his mouth. | He is 3ft tall and has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left side of his mouth. |
| Mikaeel is a nursery pupil at the Flora Stevenson Primary School. | |
| Parents of other children at the school have been sent a letter reassuring them about safety and informing them that staff are supporting police with their inquiries. | Parents of other children at the school have been sent a letter reassuring them about safety and informing them that staff are supporting police with their inquiries. |
| It said: "We are keeping in touch with Mikaeel's family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time." | It said: "We are keeping in touch with Mikaeel's family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time." |
| Mikaeel, who is British with Asian parents, was at home with his mother and four siblings, including his twin sister, when he was last seen. | Mikaeel, who is British with Asian parents, was at home with his mother and four siblings, including his twin sister, when he was last seen. |
| He normally sleeps in the same room as his twin sister, police said, but was alone on Wednesday. | He normally sleeps in the same room as his twin sister, police said, but was alone on Wednesday. |