Daniel police distribute leaflets

Police are distributing thousands of leaflets

Police searching for missing Daniel Entwistle are distributing thousands of leaflets on Saturday, a week after he disappeared.

The seven-year-old vanished shortly after leaving his home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk at about 1700 BST on Saturday, 3 May.

A red bicycle, thought to be the youngster's, was found by the raised bank of the tidal river Yare less than a mile from Daniel's home hours later.

On Saturday, a group of about 12 teenage volunteers is helping police distribute leaflets seeking information around the estate where Daniel lives and in the area where the bicycle was found.

The leaflets show a photograph of Daniel and of the bicycle.

A police spokesman said: "We hope that this may jog people's memory and provide some new evidence.

The search for Daniel

Aerial view of key locations

"We particularly want people to think whether they saw Daniel, saw a boy on a bike like this, or indeed, saw anyone else with a bike like this."

He said that if Daniel was abducted then it was possible the bike was moved by his abductor.

The spokesman added: "The teenagers who will be helping us deliver leaflets to homes are members of a local youth organisation and have all volunteered their services.

"They will be accompanied by beat officers as they move around the area where Daniel lived.

Sighting by river

"It's a week on since Daniel disappeared and we're hoping someone who might have been here at the same time last week might remember something that would help."

On Friday a man told police he saw Daniel playing near the river with other boys last Saturday lunchtime.

Police fear that Daniel may have been climbing on the river wall, fallen about 50 feet into the waters below and been swept out to sea.

But they are stressing that they have not ruled out the possibility that he was abducted.

Searches of the river and nearby coastline have failed to find any trace of him.