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Detective Inspector Beard said: “I can now advise that, a short time ago, we located a body which we believe to be Grace.
“The formal identification process will now take place. However, based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace.
“Obviously, this brings the search for Grace to an end. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them.
“Any father, any parent in this situation, will struggle. We’re putting a lot of support around him. It’s difficult because he’s here with a brother from England and the rest of the family are back home.”
Grace, from Wickford, Essex, was last seen at the CityLife hotel in Auckland with a “male companion” on Saturday, December 1. She had reportedly met a man on mobile dating site Tinder.
Detectives said they had identified a “location of interest” after the investigation led them to a spot on Scenic Drive, a country road about 12 miles west of the city centre, on Saturday night.
Scenic Drive goes through dense rainforest in the Waitakere Ranges, to the west of Auckland.
The former student was on a round-the-world trip and had been in contact with her family almost every day. She arrived in New Zealand from Peru on November
20 after spending six weeks in South America.
Relatives began to worry after she failed to respond to birthday wishes sent last Sunday.
She did not return to the Base Backpackers hostel where she had been staying.
Ms Millane was seen on CCTV cameras with her alleged killer at multiple locations in Auckland before last being seen alive at the CityLife hotel.
Officers are understood to have searched a room at the hotel over the weekend.
The spot where police found the backpacker’s body is in the vicinity of the Waitakere Reservoir and dam, a beauty hiking trails.
Officers dressed in white overalls were seen leaving the area carrying clear bags.
Large tents were erected on the side of the road and numerous police cars were parked nearby.
Police said Grace’s passport, pale pink Casio Baby-G watch and necklace were among items missing from where she had been staying.
Her distraught father David had spot with popular given an emotional press conference just days earlier urging anyone with information to come forward.
He had said: “We are all extremely upset and it’s very difficult at this time to fully describe the range of emotions we are going through.
“Grace is a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving and family orientated daughter.
“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to anybody who has seen, spoken to, come into contact with Grace over the last few days to come forward with any detail, no matter how small.”
The University of Lincoln said in a statement: “People across our university community are deeply saddened to hear the terrible news coming from New Zealand about Grace Millane, one of our recent graduates.
“Our thoughts and sympthies go to Grace’s and family.” sincere friends