New South Wales police will not confirm a newspaper report they found a Spider-Man toy in the work van of William “Bill” Spedding, a person of interest in the case of missing child William Tyrrell.

It has been almost 10 months since William, 3, disappeared from his grandmother’s home at Kendall, near Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast.

News Corp is reporting that when detectives were searching 63-year-old Spedding’s work van during investigations into William’s disappearance, they found a Spider-Man doll.

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William was wearing a Spider-Man outfit on the day he went missing.

A statement from NSW Police said: “NSW Police Force cannot comment on this ongoing investigation other than to continue to appeal for any information that may assist with the case.”

Spedding was arrested in April for separate allegations relating to the sexual assault of two girls under the age of 10 in 1987.

He appeared in court in April in relation to those charges and was refused bail.

The case was adjourned until June 18 when Spedding is expected to make a bail application.

He has always denied any involvement in William’s disappearance.