NSW detectives to search three new locations for remains of William Tyrrell

William Tyrrell vanished more than seven years ago in a case that baffled the nation. But today, police have revealed a fresh twist.

Detectives will comb three new locations in the regional town where William Tyrell went missing, senior police revealed on Monday.

It was also revealed investigators would be searching for the remains of the boy, who vanished from a property on the mid-north coast seven years ago.

William was three years old when he disappeared in 2014 while playing with his five-year-old sister in the front yard of his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall.

Speaking to the media on Monday State Crime Command director Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett detailed the renewed search efforts and “operational activity” under Strike Force Rosann.

Detectives will search three new areas in Kendall for William’s remains.

He said fresh search efforts will be focused on the Kendall area and will take two to three weeks.

“There are three specific locations and they are all in the Kendall area,” he said.

“I don’t know who took William. We are hoping to find out throughout this investigation.

“It’s highly likely that if we found something it would be a body. We are looking for the remains of William Tyrrell, no doubt about that.”

When asked whether police decided to renew efforts after receiving a fresh lead, Chief Superintendent Bennett agreed but would not comment further.

He was also probed about new information the force reportedly received in September which pointed to a previous suspect being questioned again.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett addressed the media. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“This is in relation to information we have received, no doubt about that. There is an investigative review that has been undertaken as an ongoing process but there is also new evidence,” he said.

“I will no go into specifics.”

He also confirmed detectives would be adopting a different search method and calling in experts outside of the police force to help with the search.

There’s been no trace of William since he vanished in 2014 but images of the youngster, wearing his famous Spider-Man suit, were circulated across Australia.

He was wearing the costume when he vanished.

William’s disappearance prompted one of the largest police investigations in Australian history.

William Tyrrell in his costume

In September this year a professional bush tracker told NCA NewsWire that he was devastated police called off the quest for the boy’s location “too early”.

Jake Cassar, a bush tracker called in to help the search for William and who also led the hunt for three-year-old Anthony “AJ” Elfalak, said he still suffered from the heartache of William's search party being scaled back after seven days.

William’s case was put back in the spotlight in early September when police confirmed “new information” was being investigated.

But detectives did not elaborate on what that involved.

Mr Cassar, 45, said it was a painful reminder of the “missed opportunity” to find more information when the 2014 search lost momentum.

Strike Force Rosann revisit Kendall for the seventh anniversary of William’s disappearance.

At the time, police said if William was in the bush it was unlikely he would still be alive after six days.

“I was devastated because I was open to the idea of him still being out there … anything was possible,” Mr Cassar told NCA NewsWire at the time.

Mr Cassar, from the Central Coast, said an assumption that William had “definitely” been abducted settled in on day five of the search.

“It was deeply concerning having that locked in that he had definitely been kidnapped,” he said.

“And that’s why, days after the search had largely ended, I stayed out there with my dog and a couple of volunteers from the area.”