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| Mikaeel Kular: Hundreds help with search as concern deepens | Mikaeel Kular: Hundreds help with search as concern deepens |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hundreds of volunteers have joined the search for missing three-year-old Mikaeel Kular. | |
| Mikaeel has not been seen since his mother, named locally as Rosdeep Kular, 33, put him to bed at his home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Edinburgh, at about 21:00 on Wednesday. | |
| 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 are now deeply concerned for Mikaeel. | Officers said they are now deeply concerned for Mikaeel. |
| Responding to a police plea for help, hundreds of people turned up at the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens on Thursday morning to assist with efforts to find the boy. | |
| They were briefed on where and how they should search, so that all efforts are co-ordinated and no area is missed. | |
| Insp David Happs addressed the crowds of people gathered outside the community centre. | Insp David Happs addressed the crowds of people 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. | |
| Among the members of the public who turned 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. |
| Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Supt McAinsh said there was "no evidence of any criminality at this point" and it was still a missing person inquiry. | Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Supt McAinsh said there was "no evidence of any criminality at this point" and it was still a missing person inquiry. |
| She said there were "many, many lines of inquiry" and that all lines were being pursued. | She said there were "many, many lines of inquiry" and that all lines were being pursued. |
| "I remain optimistic but as time passes we are becoming deeply concerned," she said. | "I remain optimistic but as time passes we are becoming deeply concerned," she said. |
| Supt McAinsh said: "Mikaeel's mother is getting a lot of support from both the police, her family and her friends, but clearly she is very distraught, she just wants her little boy back home with his brothers and sisters. | Supt McAinsh said: "Mikaeel's mother is getting a lot of support from both the police, her family and her friends, but clearly she is very distraught, she just wants her little boy back 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." | "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." |
| She said that officers had spoken to Mikaeel's father and that all of the boy's family had been very helpful to the police. | She said that officers had spoken to Mikaeel's father and that all of the boy's family had been very helpful to the police. |
| Earlier, Supt McAinsh confirmed there were no signs of a door being left open in the property and said she was not aware of anyone else having access to the flat. | Earlier, Supt McAinsh confirmed there were no signs of a door being left open in the property and said she was not aware of anyone else having access to the flat. |
| Nursery letter | |
| Responding to reporters' questions on Thursday night she said Mikaeel would have been capable of opening doors and leaving the house by himself. | Responding to reporters' questions on Thursday night she said Mikaeel would have been capable of opening doors and leaving the house by himself. |
| She added that a number of people were helping officers with their inquiries, but there were no suspects and had been no arrests or formal detentions. | She added that a number of people were helping officers with their inquiries, but there were no suspects and had been no arrests or formal detentions. |
| Mikaeel was 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. | |
| It said: "We are keeping in touch with Mikaeel's family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time." | |
| Cammy Day, a local Labour councillor, told BBC Scotland the community had come together to search for Mikaeel. | Cammy Day, a local Labour councillor, told BBC Scotland the community had come together to search for Mikaeel. |
| He said: "People have been asked to particularly search their own gardens, out houses and bins, anything a young child might hide away in. | He said: "People have been asked to particularly search their own gardens, out houses and bins, anything a young child might hide away in. |
| "They have also been asked to search the wider open areas in north Edinburgh, the golf courses, the playing fields etc. | "They have also been asked to search the wider open areas in north Edinburgh, the golf courses, the playing fields etc. |
| "That continued all day yesterday and into the night, with torches, looking everywhere across north Edinburgh to complement what Police Scotland are doing to try to find young Mikaeel, and that will continue throughout today." | |
| 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. |