Police said: “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 they were working out whether the sighting was credible, “and are working to rule out other possible scenarios”.

The sighting was 100m south of Tikitiki Rd intersection with Mapara North Rd.

“A number of enquiries have been carried out over the past two days as we work to confirm the identity of the group,” a police spokesman said.

Police are asking others in that group to come forward.

Phillips has been missing with his children Jayda, Ember and Maverick since December 2021.

Ember would now be 9 years old, Maverick 10, and Jayda 11.

It comes after police determined a sighting of Phillips and his three children in bush west of Coutts Rd in Marokopa in October was “credible”.

“This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family,” police said at the time.

The sighting sparked a three-day search of the area, including the use of a military helicopter, but “nothing further of significance” was found, according to police.

Before the sighting last year, police alleged Tom Phillips was seen on November 2, 2023 on CCTV after an attempted burglary at a Piopio store.

Security footage from the shop showed a masked pair, believed to be Phillips and one of his children, smashing the front glass and fleeing north after the alarm was set off about 2am.

He is also accused of robbing a bank and shooting at a supermarket worker in Te Kūiti in May, 2023.

Phillips vanished for the first time with his three young children on September 11, 2021.

The family returned home three weeks later, but on December 9 an arrest warrant was issued for Phillips after he failed to appear before court.

In a video message last year, the children’s mother Cat said: “I am standing here before you today begging you for your help to bring my babies home”.

”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.”