‘She’s usually in daily contact’: Missing Lincoln grad Grace Millane’s dad makes emotional plea

Missing Lincoln graduate Grace Millane's dad has made an emotional plea as the search for her continues.

Police in New Zealand, where Grace has been missing since Saturday, have said they hold "grave fears" for Grace's safety, but have no evidence so far of foul play.

Grace's dad, David, said: "It’s very difficult at this time to fully describe the range of emotions we are going through."

There has been no contact with Grace since she left her hostel room in Auckland. She was last sighted at a hotel on Saturday night with a male companion, who has been spoken to by police.

Grace graduated from the University of Lincoln in September, and has been travelling around New Zealand.

In the tearful video, Grace's dad David told reporters: "Grace is a lovely, outgoing, fun- loving, family-orientated daughter.

"She is usually in daily contact with either her mother, myself, her two brothers or members of the family on social media.

"She has been bombarding us with numerous photographs and messages of her adventures.

"We are all extremely upset and it's very difficult at this time to fully describe the range of emotions we are going through."

New discoveries towards her disappearance show CCTV footage of Grace at a hotel on Saturday evening.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard said: “We now have the last known sighting of Grace at 9.41pm at the Citylife Hotel, on Saturday 1st December with a male companion. Police have identified this man and he has been spoken to.

"Officers have also identified an apartment at the hotel as a location of interest."

CCTV footage of Grace at the Citylife Hotel in central Auckland

Detective Inspector Scott Beard continued: “It has now been six days since Grace was last seen. At this point, we hold grave fears for her safety."

But, he added that they "still have no evidence of foul play."

Police have added that more than 25 staff have been working on the case and have searched through hours of CCTV footage in an attempt to trace her movements.

Additionally, a local woman told the New Zealand Herald she saw a young woman near the Southern Motorway in Manukau, around 14 miles from where Grace was last seen. She said: "Where she was standing, it was really bizarre and she was by herself, nobody around, just a girl on her own.

"I can honestly 100 percent say I saw a young girl, absolutely so close to her description that it's not funny, and there was no way I was going to stop.

"She was in a very unusual place to stand, I would have thought a hitchhiker would have stopped on the left-hand side to get in the car, she was on the other side.

"I looked at the photo of Grace and I was quite adamant I had seen that girl. She had like a raincoat. She had a bigger sort of jacket, not a fashion like one."

If anyone has any information on Grace's whereabouts, please call 09 302 6970 or 07939983681.