New South Wales Police have announced they are now “looking for the remains” of William Tyrrell, the little boy who tragically disappeared in 2014, following new evidence in the investigation.

It’s been seven years since William Tyrrell vanished from his foster grandmother’s house in New South Wales. He had been playing in the front yard of the property in Kendall, and was wearing a Spider-Man suit at the time of his disappearance. Despite extensive investigations and an exhaustive search by hundreds of volunteers and emergency service workers, the then three-year-old has not been found.

Detectives from Strike Force Rosann will conduct fresh searches, involving hundreds of police officers, in three specific locations in the Kendall area which police anticipate will run over the next two to three weeks.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said police are “very hopeful that we can bring this matter to some form of conclusion” after new evidence was obtained during the ongoing investigation.

“This activity is in response to evidence we’ve obtained in the course of the investigation, it’s not speculative in any way,” he said.

“We are acting on behalf of the Coroner and in conjunction with the coronial orders, she will be kept updated with regard to our progress.”

Bennett made the shocking admission that investigators “are looking for the remains of William Tyrrell”.

“It’s highly likely that if we found something, it would be a body,” he said.

Detectives revisited the foster grandmother’s property in September this year, on the seventh anniversary of the disappearance, following the discovery of “new information” in the case.

Strike Force Rosann Officer-in-Charge, Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw said at the time, “further information has since come to light”.

In 2016, the NSW Government announced a $1 million reward for information that would lead to the recovery of Tyrrell. The reward remains on offer.