Aisling case: Mystery woman identified

Police check the manhole through which they believe Aisling Symes went into the stormwater drain in which her body was found yesterday. Photo / Dean Purcell

Police have identified the mystery Asian woman seen talking to Aisling Symes before her disappearance, but have yet to find her.

The woman was a central figure during the week-long investigation into the toddler's disappearance.

After initial searches proved fruitless, it was feared Aisling had been abducted.

Police still want to speak to the woman, despite Aisling's body having been recovered, and a post mortem examination revealing she died by drowning.

The toddler was found in a stormwater pipe about 8pm on Monday night, 36m from a manhole cover at 5 Longburn Rd, Henderson.

Aisling was with her mother at 7 Longburn Rd, the home of her deceased grandparents, when she disappeared.

The drain had been the subject of four complaints to the Waitakere City Council, and at least one person raised safety concerns after a build-up of water blew the manhole cover off.

The drain, which is 37.5cm wide and runs at a depth of 1.4m, feeds into Lincoln Stream behind Longburn Rd.

Police found the manhole cover dislodged during the initial search for Aisling, but it was too heavy for her to have lifted.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey yesterday said the decision to re-check the pipe was made in a review of the investigation, which was at a dead-end.

More than a metre of soil had to be excavated and obstructions cleared before Aisling's body was found.

Mr Davey said it would have been impossible for her to turn around in the drain.

One West Auckland drainlayer - who did not want to be named - told the Herald he immediately thought about the manhole cover after hearing Aisling's body had been recovered.

He said he had raised concerns about it with the Waitakere City Council a year ago, after making a closed-circuit TV inspection of the stormwater line.

"It's an old lid that should have been replaced ages ago. When we came across that we let the council know. They pop up in bad stormwater."

Sonya Carrington, a former tenant at 5 Longburn Rd, said the main reason she moved was "because I didn't want my kids down that drain".

Waitakere Mayor Harvey last night told Close Up he was now aware of the four previous complaints, but did not know what action had been taken.

"I feel disappointed more than angry. I don't think it's a time for anger."

He said he was surprised the people concerned about the drain had not mentioned it to the police during the search.

Waitakere City Council spokesman Wally Thomas said the city had received a complaint on September 11 that the manhole cover had lifted off.

Workers found large willow tree roots in the drain and began "the process of deciding how best to go about removing them".

Asked if that decision was made before Aisling went missing, Mr Thomas said: "No, sadly, not."