The disappearance of William Tyrrell has been referred to the NSW coroner, but police say investigations continue with the hope the young boy is still alive.

The announcement comes more than a year after the then three-year-old vanished from the front yard of his grandmother’s home at Kendall on the NSW north coast.

“The referral of William Tyrrell’s disappearance to the local Coroner is in line with standard protocol for matters of this kind,” police said on Saturday.

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On September 10, a man investigated over the disappearance of Tyrrell appeared in a video posted on YouTube in which he denied any involvement in the case.

Bill Spedding was interviewed by police and had his property searched after the boy disappeared while playing at his grandmother’s home at Kendall almost a year ago.

Mr Spedding went to the home on two occasions to fix a washing machine.

He has now posted a denial on YouTube, in which he offers his commiserations to William’s family and makes a clarification.

“The media have reported that I was supposed to attend the Tyrrell house on the 12th of September 2014 — this being the day of William’s disappearance,” he said.

“I wish to make it perfectly clear that this claim is completely false.”

Earlier this week, NSW Police released a recording of the triple-0 call William’s mother made moments after she realised her son was missing.

They also appealed for information about two cars — described as a dark grey old-model, medium-size sedan and an old white station wagon — that were parked opposite the house on the day the three-year-old disappeared.