Police 'open' to learning from volunteers who found remains in renewed search

Volunteer searchers found remains during a renewed search for missing man Peter Willoughby on Saturday. (Supplied: Rob Parsons)

Remains were found yesterday during a renewed search for missing Scottsdale man Peter Willoughby.

The group of volunteer searchers that made the discovery also found the remains of missing Belgian tourist Celine Cremer earlier this year.

Tasmania Police has defended the initial search effort, and Inspector Aleena Crack says officers are open to discussions with the volunteer group "as to what their methods were".

Tasmania Police says it is open to learning from a volunteer missing persons search group, which has found human remains for a second time.

Yesterday afternoon, remains were found during a renewed search for missing Scottsdale man Peter Willoughby.

Mr Willoughby, 76, has not been seen since he ventured into the Hollybank Reserve, north-east of Launceston, in October last year, in search of his car.

After helping find missing tourist Celine Cremer, some of the search volunteers plan to formalise their group and take on other missing persons cases.

Although it will take a few weeks for the remains to be formally identified, Tasmania Police Inspector Aleena Crack said clothing and other items found with the remains indicated they belonged to Mr Willoughby.

Many of the volunteers involved in this weekend's search for Mr Willoughby were also part of the group that helped find the remains of missing Belgian woman Celine Cremer earlier this year.

They have now formed an incorporated group called FOLLO — Find Our Lost Loved Ones — which they hope will soon become a charity to assist with missing persons cases.

Many of the volunteers involved in the search for Peter Willoughby were also involved in a search earlier this year for missing Belgian woman Celine Cremer. (Supplied: Rob Parsons)

Inspector Crack said police would review their own search effort, and the tactics of the FOLLO group.

"Police are always open to any learning and any input we can have from groups, particularly when there is such success as this one," she said.

Inspector Crack has defended the initial police search effort, which did scour the area where the remains were eventually found.

Aleena Crack said the police search effort was focused on finding Mr Willoughby alive. (ABC News: Sandy Powell)

She said the police search was conducted "under different circumstances".

"The police search-and-rescue response is done rapidly in the best possible way, with the focus of trying to find somebody alive, whereas a more thoroughly planned search over a