13/10/2009

Vigil Held After Child's Body Found In New Zealand

A vigil has been held in the hometown of the Irishman whose daughter's body was found yesterday morning in New Zealand.

Last night, prayers were said for the family of two-year-old Aisling Symes in the Church of Ireland in Stradbally, Co Waterford.

The ceremony commenced only hours after the news emerged that New Zealand police searching for Aisling had found an infant's body in a storm drain behind the house, just metres from the spot where she went missing last week.

Yesterday, police in New Zealand announced they had found a body during the hunt for missing toddler Aisling Symes.

A statement from police confirmed that the body of a young child was found after the search of a storm water drain at the rear of a house in the Auckland suburb of Henderson.

A reward has been offered by British aristocrat Lord Ashcroft for information leading to a successful conviction in the case.

Inspector Gary Davey said it was with "tremendous sadness" that he could confirm police had discovered the body of a child in a drain just after 8pm yesterday evening.

He said it was too early to confirm if it was Aisling and how long the body had been there. "It is too early to know how the child got there or indeed, how long she had been there."

Fire officers and police, using concrete cutters, spent two hours digging land which backs on to a creek and neighbours Aisling's grandparents' house.

The autopsy report to confirm the identity of the child found is expected today.

(DW/KMcA)

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