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Vanessa Pickering - Source: NZ Police -
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A massive search is continuing for a young mother who has been missing since Monday evening.
Police hold grave fears for the safety of Vanessa Pickering after her seven-year-old daughter was found abandoned.
Pickering, 27, was last seen with daughter Tinisha leaving their New Brighton home on Monday, and the young girl was later found wandering on her own near Kaiapoi.
ONE News has been told that Pickering's daughter was found wandering alone in a paddock near Kaiapoi and that she was very distressed about her mother. Police have been taking her concerns very seriously and 30 search and rescue crew, dogs, and even friends have been scouring the scrub and tussock as they search for any signs of the missing mum.
"Everyone's pretty freaked out about it, you hear about it on the news but you don't expect it to be close to you," says close friend Theresa Soper.
An outing to the local dairy on Sunday afternoon was captured on security camera and is one of the final sightings of Pickering before she disappeared.
Soper says it's totally out of character for Pickering to leave her daughter.
The girl is now with her family and police have carried out a thorough grid search in the area where she was found.
"The fears are grave in that there has been no contact with Vanessa, there's been no cellphone contact, she hasn't been in contact with her daughter or anyone else in her family and this is highly unusual," says Detective Senior Sergeant Virginia Le Bas.
The investigation has been stepped up and police are combing through recent security footage taken in Lyttelton while concentrating their search on Godley Head.
ONE News understands that is in response to something the seven year old remembers although police have not confirmed that.
"The daughter is seven years old and is quite traumatised by the situation," says le Bas.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Pickering should contact police immediately on 027 2711 308 or Crime Stoppers, 0800 555 111.
