Tom Phillips: New Zealand fugitive father seen with children in wilderness for first time in years

A search has been underway for Tom Phillips since he took his three children from their home in 2021.

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A national search has been under way for Tom Phillips since he took Ember, 8, Maverick, 9, and Jayda, 11, away from their family home in December 2021, after a dispute with their mother.

Police believe they have been hiding and camping in the North Island's western Waikato region and and earlier this year posted an NZ$80,000 (£37,200) appeal for information.

The sighting last week came from a group of teenage pig hunters who had been trekking through the bush and filmed the encounter on their phones.

New Zealand media reported the teenagers had briefly spoken to one of their children - asking if anyone knew they were there. They had replied "only you" and kept walking, the father of one of the teenagers told New Zealand's 1News.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czegx545pexo

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