Major update in hunt for missing dad still on the run with his three children in wilderness

There has been a major update in the hunt for a missing dad still on the run with his three children.

Tom Phillips took his daughter, Jayda, now 11, son Maverick, nine, and daughter Ember, eight, from the town Marokpa in the north of New Zealand to live in the wilderness back in December 2021.

They were last spotted in October and have now reportedly been spotted for a second time. It is believed they were seen by State Highway 4, south of Te Kūiti, over the weekend.

Police say they received a report of four people dressed in camouflage clothes sitting in a lay-by on Sunday (16 February).

Tom Phillips, who three years ago took his children and disappeared (NZ Police)

"The group was comprised of an adult, believed to be a man, and three other people, two of which were described as children," police said in a statement.

"Police are now working to establish whether this is a credible sighting and are working to rule out other possible scenarios.”

A police spokesperson added to The New Zealand Herald: "A number of enquiries have been carried out over the past two days as we work to confirm the identity of the group."

In their statement, police have also encouraged anyone who spotted this group or 'has information about their identity' to contact them, especially anyone who may have dashcam footage from the area.

They added: "We are also asking that if you were in this group of people and can identify the group for us, please get in touch immediately."

The public has previously been warned not to approach Phillips. While there have reportedly been a number of sightings since they went missing, the spot in October was deemed 'credible' with police saying it was 'the first time all three of the children have been sighted'.

Also dressed in camouflage and carrying large backpacks, teenage pig hunters captured footage of the four walking across farmland.

That sighting led to a three-day search of the area but police said 'nothing further of significance' was found.

This 2023 picture is thought to show Phillips with one of the children (NZ Police)

Their mum, Catherine said in a video last year: "They are just innocent children, they do not deserve to be treated this way. They do not deserve the life that is being provided to them right now."

And she told the NZ Herald that Phillips was using their children as 'pawns in his game'.

Following the October sighting, she also said that she was 'relieved' to see her children alive.

After going missing, Phillips failed to appear in court in January 2022 for a charge of causing wasteful deployment of police personnel and resources.

The father is also wanted over an alleged arm robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti in 2023.

Police previously offered a reward of up to $80,000NZ (£37,000) for information that would lead to the safe return of the children.

But this expired without being claimed while legal immunity was also offered to anyone who might have been helping Phillips and wanted to come forward.