Search for most wanted scaled back

Mikey, Kiara, Jenny, baby Rocko and Mick Peet held a candlelight vigil for Lateesha Nolan the day before police announced the search for the man accused of murdering her was being scaled down.

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THE last thing Bundaberg dad Mick Peet wanted to hear was that the search for the man accused of killing his daughter was being scaled back.

But after another sleepless night filled with worry, Mr Peet woke Thursday morning to the news police were downsizing their search for the most wanted man in New South Wales, Malcolm Naden.

Naden, who is wanted over the disappearance of Mr Peet's daughter, Lateesha Nolan, for the alleged murder of young mother Kristy Scholes and an alleged rape of a child, has been on the run since 2005.

In early December, the search for Naden was ramped up after he shot a police officer as he approached the fugitive's camp.

Mr Peet said he had been desperately clinging to any news he could get in relation to the search.

"I just hate that they were so close and now it's being scaled down," Mr Peet said.

"We need answers."

From Friday police will move the search headquarters to a new location in NSW, 60km south of its previous location in Nowendoc to a rural fire station in Gloucester.

"It is important to note that if and when circumstances change, NSW Police Force has the ability to quickly upscale resources again," a NSW Police spokesman said.

"The search-based operation will change to an investigation-based operation, and sufficient resources will be provided to meet operational strategies."

A $250,000 reward remains in place for information that leads to Naden's arrest.

Mr Peet, who held a candlelit vigil for his daughter on Wednesday to mark seven years since Lateesha's disappearance, said the past seven years had been a terrible rollercoaster of emotions and it had been hugely disappointing that two recent sightings of Naden had not led to his capture.

"It's terrible waiting for news. We're really kept in the dark," he said.