Toddler's lookalikes spark calls to police

Aisling Symes

A little European girl walking with an Asian woman in the Auckland Domain looked so similar to Aisling Symes the police had to hold a photo of the missing girl next to her face to rule her out.

The incident was one of several false sightings police responded to yesterday, following calls from members of the public.

But they have warned the public not to persecute "Asian women walking down the road".

Auckland City Council parks officer Graeme Davies followed a woman and child around the Domain's Wintergardens pavilion yesterday afternoon concerned that the little girl, who looked to be about 2 years old, was Aisling.

He said the four other council workers in the gardens agreed she looked similar so he called the police.

"I phoned 111 and then followed them around, keeping a bit of a distance, trying to be inconspicuous.

"She looked a lot like the girl that's been in the media. A council ranger approached the woman and asked who the little girl was. She said, 'My daughter', but she was Asian with long dark hair and the girl was European."

The toddler seemed relaxed looking at the goldfish and sometimes held the woman's hand, Mr Davies said.

The police arrived soon after to question the woman and phoned other people to confirm her story.

They had to look at a photo of Aisling next to the little girl's face as the pair were so alike, Mr Davies said.

"I said, 'Sorry, I just couldn't let her go'," he said.

"They said it was okay, 'She looked so similar, don't worry about it'... It was better to be safe than sorry."

Police also swooped on a middle-aged Asian couple pushing a European toddler in a pushchair on Dominion Rd in Mt Eden North.

The child turned out to be 20-month-old Ellen, whom the couple was babysitting, stuff.co.nz reported.

The couple led two officers to an office block where the child's mother, Karen McChesney, was interviewed.

"I can't imagine what they [Aisling's parents] are going through," Ms McChesney said.

"Their girl is the same age as mine and I would be totally devastated if I was in their shoes."