The mother of a three-year-old boy who has been missing for over 36 hours after vanishing from his bed during the night "just wants her little boy back", say police officers.
"She just wants her little boy back home home with his brothers and sisters"
Rosdeep Kular went to check on her son Mikaeel, who had been home from school on Wednesday due to sickness, at 7.30am yesterday morning, only to find him gone.
Usually Mikaeel shares a bedroom with twin sister Ashika but, due to his illness, he was sleeping alone the night he vanished; his mother put him to bed at 9pm and between that point and the morning the little boy - along with his coat and shoes - disappeared.
He also has three other siblings – Tarun, nine, David, seven and five-year-old Renuka - who were in the house with his mother at the time of his disappearance.
Hundreds of police and volunteers have been searching the Scottish Forth shoreline and houses near Rosdeep's home in Edinburgh, as temperatures plunged to 4C. So far, no arrests have been made, although a man who lived at the same address as Rosdeep's first husband has been detained by police and his house searched by police officers.
At a press conference this morning, Superintendent Liz McAinsh said that Mrs Kular, AGE, was "getting a lot of support" but was desperate to see her son again as soon as possible.
"She is very distraught.
"She just wants her little boy back home home with his brothers and sisters.
"We are very concerned for her. We just want to be able to give her some news or let her know he is safe and well."
Police are investigating the possibility that Mikaeel left home of his own accord, although questions have been raised as to how he could have opened the heavy door to his block of flats.
Frank Arthur, 72, who lives in the flat above, told newspapers: “I’ve seen the little lad and his sister playing around in the stairwell. They don’t seem to go out a lot.
“I don’t think the boy could have got out by himself. It’s quite a heavy door.
“You push a button and then it whistles so you open the door. It’s quite a lot for a three-year-old, to be pulling the door open.”
Despite this, however, police have insisted that they are still treating this as a missing person case and do not presume any criminal activity was involved:
"We are obviously deeply concerned that we have had no sightings of Mikaeel,. All lines of inquiry in the investigation remain open, we are pursuing many lines of inquiry.
"I would ask anyone who has got any information to get in touch with us. We still have no evidence of any criminality at this point."
Asked whether she thinks the child will be found alive and well, Ms McAinsh said: "I remain optimistic but as time passes we become deeply concerned. I would stress that this is still a missing person inquiry and we are treating it as such."
She also insisted that she has spoken with Mikaeel's father and is not aware of any tension in the family which would have caused the little boy to run away from home:
"We have spoken to his father. All of his family have been very, very helpful to the police.
"They continue to help us with our inquiries and obviously we are keen to get as much information as we can from them as we just never know who might hold that vital bit of information that will help us find him."
A nationwide missing child alert has been sent to all police forces, normally used in abduction cases, and Mikaeel's picture will be shown across digital billboards today to help raise awareness.
When he disappeared he was possibly wearing a beige hooded jacket, blue jogging bottoms, brown Clarks shoes and nightwear.
He may also have been wearing a grey pyjama top with an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and black gloves with multi-coloured fingers.
Apparently people have come forward to reveal that they might have spotted the little boy but, despite CCTV confirming the time of the sighting, it could not confirm the identity of the child seen.
Ms McAinsh said: "Since Mikaeel was reported missing, we have been contacted by a number of people with information which we have been working to assess and respond to.
"Members of the public have come forward to report seeing a boy walking in the vicinity of West Pilton Gardens at 8:30am yesterday.
"The witnesses were in a vehicle driving down West Pilton Gardens at the time they saw the boy. They described seeing a small boy on the right hand side pavement running towards the junction with West Pilton Park.
"They noticed him because he was small in build and alone at the time.
"They said he matched the description given of Mikaeel although they also reported the child they saw was wearing a cap or hat."
Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.