Fourth man is quizzed in hunt for William Tyrrell

AS the desperate search for toddler William Tyrrell enters its third calendar year, detectives have hit another roadblock in their investigation as it emerged no evidence was discovered in a car seized from a paedophile on the state’s mid north coast.

ANOTHER person of interest has emerged in the William Tyrrell case as the desperate search for the little boy enters its third calendar year.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal detectives have interviewed Derek Nichols, an elderly man listed on the child protection register, several times and searched his home on the state’s mid-north coast.

Mr Nichols said he had nothing to do with the four-year-old’s disappearance and is not connected to William’s family.

“I was living in Kendall and the police came to see me because I was on the child protection register,” Mr Nichols told The Saturday Telegraph.

“The most significant one was in May when they came and inspected my house.”

Mr Nichols said he was on the child protection register for crimes committed in Victoria. He said he was living in Dunbogan when William went missing and said he did not know anybody connected to the case.

It is the second time the tiny town of Dunbogan, south of Port Macquarie, has been provided as an alibi to police.

Tradesman Bill Spedding, who also denies any involvement, told detectives he was repairing a washing machine in Dunbogan shortly after William went missing.

Spedding has been interviewed extensively by police and had his Bonny Hills home searched by the Strike Force Rosann team led by crack detective Gary Jubelin.

Police found a Spiderman doll in Spedding’s Volkswagen work van — a toy he claimed was given to him by his grandson to keep him company.

There were more than 20 people on the child protection register in the area directly surrounding the Kendall home of William Tyrrell’s grandmother.

Police spoke to all of them but not all have had their homes searched.

Flashback: The search in September 2014 for William. Picture: Nathan Edwards

Hunt: William Tyrell.

Mr Nichols’ denial comes as another roadblock emerged for police in their investigation. It can be revealed no evidence was discovered in a car seized from a paedophile on the state’s mid-north coast in September.

Forensic testing of a white station-wagon belonging to convicted child molester Tony Jones failed to turn up any trace of William or clues about his disappearance.

A fourth man, Paul Bickford, a convicted paedophile, has also been questioned in the case.

Detectives attached to strike force Rosann seized the vehicle from near the Wauchope family home of Jones, who is serving a three-year jail sentence, on September 16.

Despite the lack of evidence, Chief Inspector Jubelin renewed his commitment to seeing the case through.

“The investigation into the disappearance of William Tyrrell remains a priority for the NSW Police Force,” he said.

“It doesn’t sit well with us, particularly at this time of year, that we still don’t know what happened to William. Any information, no matter how seemingly innocuous could be vital.”