Hunt for missing twin, three, who vanished from his home overnight: 'Man detained in nearby street as police search flat'

 

• Mikaeel Kular put to bed at 9pm but at 7.15am mother found he'd gone
• Police say they have a helicopter and officers on the streets in Edinburgh
• Coastguard also searching city's northern shoreline for the three-year-old
• Boy is 3ft and may be in beige hooded jacket, brown shoes and nightwear
• Detectives say 'no evidence of criminality' and he 'could be on his own'
• Mikaeel lived with his mother and 4 siblings, but his father lives elsewhere
• Man held in street a mile from his home - but not clear if arrest is linked

By Martin Robinson

Missing boy: Three-year-old Mikaeel Kular was put to bed at 9pm last night and has not been seen since, sparking a police hunt

The coastguard and mountain rescue experts have been called in to help police hunting for three-year-old Mikaeel Kular, who has vanished from his home after going to bed last night.
The area around his home in Ferry Gait, Edinburgh has been swamped with teams looking for the boy who was last seen when he was put down to sleep at around 9pm last night.
Officers say it was the boy's 'distraught' mother who discovered he was missing at 7.20am, and his coat and shoes have also gone.

The little boy, who has four siblings, including a twin sister, is described as 3ft tall and possibly wearing a beige hooded jacket, brown shoes and jogging bottoms.
Police in Edinburgh had said there is no evidence to suggest criminality, but have since held a man in Waterfront Gait, a mile from where the boy lived.
Nine riots vans sped to the area and it is believed a flat is being searched in a block there.
Police Scotland said the man was arrested for an unrelated offence.
Officers with sniffer dogs are on the streets hunting for Mikaeel, and a helicopter is also combing the area in the north-west of the city.
Coastguard teams and lifeboats have been searching the shoreline in the Cramond and Drylaw area.

Detectives are trying to work out how the child managed to leave the property, and will have to consider if the child was snatched or if he slipped out of his bed, put on his coat and shoes and walked out.
Temperatures overnight in Edinburgh dropped to 2.3C (36F).

Huge operation: Gangs of specialist search officers and PCs have flooded the area around Mikaeel's home as they search the area for him

Questions: Officers are also going door to door asking people if they have seen or heard anything overnight, when the boy went

Anyone who believes they have seen Mikaeel last night or this morning to contact police immediately, and are urged to check their home, garage or outbuildings for him.
Police Scotland superintendent Liz McAinsh said: 'There is no evidence to suggest criminality at the moment but clearly we are keeping an open mind.

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'We're a big organisation now with Police Scotland and we are using all of the resources at our disposal to look for this three-year-old boy.
'Think about your own homes. Look everywhere a three-year-old boy may go'.
Asked whether she thought Mikaeel may have left of his own accord, Ms McAinsh told reporters: 'We know that his jacket and shoes are not within the property so we are following up all lines of inquiry in that regard. We don't know if he may have left of his own volition , but obviously that's one line of inquiry we are following up.'

Forensics: Officers have been dusting for fingerprints on the door he probably exited from,  at the height he would have pushed at it

Asked whether there were any custody issues with the family, she said: 'Obviously we are following all lines of inquiry, there are no concerns that we have at the moment .

Investigation: Mikaeel would have had to leave this door and was last seen by his devastated mother more than 12 hours ago

'We are following all lines of inquiry with all partner agencies and with the family and the family are being very helpful at the moment.
'As you can imagine, Mikaeel's mother is distraught. She just wants our help and the public's help in finding her little boy.'
Ms McAinsh said police will be speaking to talk to all family members, including Mikaeel's father.
She went on: 'We're asking everybody who lives in that area or who travels through that area or works in that area to keep their eyes open for this wee boy.
'He is just a three-year-old so he won't know his way about the local area. Anyone who sees him, we would ask them to immediately look after his safety and get in contact with the police.
'I would ask local residents to think about their own homes, gardens and outbuildings, their bins, to have a look and see, anywhere you think a three-year-old boy might be to have a look for us, if you are out walking in the locality, and keep your eyes open in the parks as well.
'At this stage we're keeping an open mind, we're following up all lines of inquiry that we have.'
She added: 'I'm not aware of any custody issues at the moment but there's many lines of inquiry being followed and one of them will be to speak to Mikaeel's father. We're endeavouring to speak with all of the family members, obviously one of whom is Mikaeel's father.'

Specialists: Forensics officers have also been looking at his home, as they try to piece together what happened

Search: An officer interviews someone in a window, believed to be the home of the missing boy while  a team with dogs and a helicopter hovers above the area looking for him

Precise: Officers are looking for any clues abhout the mysterious circumstances in which Mikaeel has gone missing today

Tracks: Search teams at work as police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses to help trace the missing child

Big job: An officer looks over a fence while a dog sniffs the bushes below as the hunt for the little boy continues today

Neighbours have expressed their shock at what has happened.
Nicola Garrick said he is a 'beautiful, happy, wee boy' who she used to see playing in the stairwell of the block of flats he lived in.
Mother of one Jackie Brownlie, 29, said: 'It’s every mother’s nightmare to wake up and find your child missing.
'They are a lovely family and he’s a good little boy – so cute.
'She’s a great mum and they are all very well-behaved children. It’s a brilliant street with loads of kids. It’s just a quiet place perfect for kids.
'It’s hard to imagine how he got outside – the doors are so heavy he would have struggled to open it.'

Location: Mikaeel Kular is 3ft tall and believed to be wearing a beige hooded jacket, brown shoes and nightwear

Leading officer: Superintendent Liz McCainsh has urged people in Edinburgh to search their own property and surrounding area for the little boy

Probe: Police on Ferry Gait Crescent where the three-year-old has gone missing from his home, and officers are on the ground and in a helicopter searching for him

Another neighbour, grandmother of one Nicky Garrick, 35, said: 'He’s such a happy wee laddie. 
'He’s got an older brother and sister who play out front in the summer but he’s too young and stays close to his mum – he wouldn’t even cross the road without her.
'I was outside at 4am and it was very quiet. The police appeared at 7am – the whole street is worried for him.
'His mum is being comforted by the other children, cuddling them.'
Near neighbours said Mikaeel lived with his mother, but a man they believe may be the children’s father was also seen occasionally at their home.
In the House of Commons, Edinburgh MPs expressed their hopes Mikaeel would be safely returned to his family as soon as possibly.
Liberal Democrat Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West) said: 'My thoughts particularly are with the family in my constituency where a three-year-old went missing from his home overnight last night and I know we all fervently hope for Mikaeel Kular's safe return as soon as is possible.'
Labour's Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) also told MPs: 'I hope he is soon found safely and brought back to his home.'