Crucial details Cleo Smith's mum revealed in first TV interview since little WA ...

Crucial details Cleo Smith's mum revealed in first TV interview since little WA ...
Crucial details Cleo Smith's mum revealed in first TV interview since little WA ...

Cleo Smith's shell-shocked mother has revealed the four-year-old had been sleeping metres from her baby sister before she disappeared from the family's tent, as police focus on a 'worst case scenario' where the little girl was snatched in her sleep. 

Ellie Smith and her partner, Jake Gliddon fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday as the fourth day of the search for little Cleo came to a close. 

The four-year-old was last seen about 1:30am on Saturday near the Blowholes campsite north of Carnavon in Western Australia before she seemingly vanished. 

Ms Smith said she had woken up around 6am on Sunday to find their tent zipper was nearly completely open and her four-year-old nowhere to be seen. 

She revealed Cleo had been sleeping in a separate area of the tent, with her baby sister just metres away. 

Police are now focus their efforts on investigating the 'worst case scenario' that little Cleo was abducted from the tent where her family lay sleeping, with a complex criminal investigation now underway.

Police are becoming increasingly concerned that little Cleo (pictured) may have been abducted in the early hours of Saturday morning

Police are becoming increasingly concerned that little Cleo (pictured) may have been abducted in the early hours of Saturday morning

Ellie Smith and her partner, Jake Gliddon (pictured) fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday after four-year-old Cleo (middle) went missing near the Blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon in Western Australia five days ago

Ellie Smith and her partner, Jake Gliddon (pictured) fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday after four-year-old Cleo (middle) went missing near the Blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon in Western Australia five days ago

Inspector Jon Munday said Cleo could 'potentially be anywhere now' given five days have passed since she was last seen.  

'We can't rule out the fact that Cleo may be still in the area, we can't rule out the fact she's left the area and if she's left the area that is probably is our worse case scenario because that really paints a sinister picture with what's happened.

'It is a race against time. We're just trying to find answers.' 

The entire area has been declared a potential crime scene, with the campsite closed and investigators begging for anyone who has been in the area to come forward.

Investigators called it 'a mystery we're trying to unravel', as they revealed 'quite a lot of people' had been staying at the Blowholes campground that night. 

This means it will be even more difficult to check for tyre markings on the sandy road leading up to the ground, amid reports some campers heard a car speed off around 3am on Saturday morning.

Cleo's mum explained her daughter had been inside a red and grey sleeping bag beside the cot of her younger Isla when she disappeared.  

'As we passed the (tent) divider, I went into the other room and the zipper was open,' she said. 'She was gone. The tent was completely open.' 

Police have not ruled out any theories relating to her disappearance - including the possibility that she was abducted. 

Ms Smith (pictured) said she woke up at 6am on Saturday to find their tent zipper was almost completely undone and her four-year-old daughter Cleo nowhere to be seen

Ms Smith (pictured) said she woke up at 6am on Saturday to find their tent zipper was almost completely undone and her four-year-old daughter Cleo nowhere to be seen

The four-year-old was last seen by her parents (pictured with her mum Ellie and partner Jake Gliddon) about 1.30am on Saturday when she woke up and asked for a drink

The four-year-old was last seen by her parents (pictured with her mum Ellie and partner Jake Gliddon) about 1.30am on Saturday when she woke up and asked for a drink

They are considering the possibility that if she was kidnapped, Cleo could already have been moved interstate.

Her shattered mother said she prays her daughter is still close-by.

'We hold hope that she is still here somewhere. If I think about the idea of her being taken, a million things cross my mind,' Ms Smith said. 

She said she doesn't believe Cleo left the tent on her own accord and said she would have asked for assistance unzipping her one-piece sleeping suit. 

'She's lazy when it comes to walking. She'd never leave that tent alone,' she said, adding that someone has to know where the little girl is.

The devastated mum said the first thing she said to her partner when she realised her little girl was missing was: 'Cleo's gone, Jake'. 

Ms Smith (pictured) has insisted Cleo would never leave the tent on her own and said she would have asked her mum for help unzipping her one-piece sleeping suit

Ms Smith (pictured) has insisted Cleo would never leave the tent on her own and said she would have asked her mum for help unzipping her one-piece sleeping suit 

The devastated couple (pictured) have asked the public to report anything they see 'big or small' to police to help bring their beloved Cleo back home

The devastated couple (pictured) have asked the public to report anything they see 'big or small' to police to help bring their beloved Cleo back home

The couple began to frantically search their tent and the surrounding campsite in hopes they would find the four-year-old before notifying police.  

Ms Smith said she has no clue what happened to her daughter and despite thinking of 'a million' different scenarios still feels helpless. 

'The worst part is that there's nothing more we can do. It's out of our hands now and we feel hopeless and out of control,' she admitted.    

She said while her friends, family and the local community had been 'so supportive', all she wanted was her 'beautiful, funny and delicate' daughter to come home. 

The couple have asked the public to report anything they see 'big or small' to police. 

'I know she can get through whatever she's going through,' a teary Ms Smith said. 

'We're going to find her, we have to'.  

 An intense search for the missing four-year-old (pictured) resumed about midday local time on Tuesday after wild weather and a storm cell forced emergency services to call it quits

It marked the first time the couple have spoken publicly since little Cleo vanished,  with Ms Smith issuing an

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