UPDATED 10.35am: The 5-year-old girl missing in Hamilton has been found.

Glory Inoke has been found alive locked inside at Kiwi New Cars on Greenwood St, opposite McDonalds

The car yard is nearly 5kms from her home in Ross Cres.

Waikato District Police said in a post on their Facebook page, Glory was "discovered outside by a member of the public who was not looking for her, but who stopped to help her anyway. Champion."

Glory's mother, Adi, said she was found shivering, cold. 

She said they had picked up a courtesy car from a car yard in Frankton yesterday as they had to repair the fan belt in their vehicle.

They were due to return it today.

Mrs Inoke confirmed that Glory was in the back of their loan car which they had used and given back.

The loan vehicle was given back to Kiwi Cars at 5.30pm and father, Allen, didn't realise she was in the back.

Mr Inoke said he had no idea his daughter was in the car when he dropped it off and didn't think that she would be in there when the search was going on.

He said the car yard staff had locked the vehicle but she'd managed to open it from the inside and was waking around the yard when a member of the public spotted her and called police.

Mrs Inoke said it was just an accident and they were extremely glad to finally have her home.

"We have been to the doctors and she has been examined and she's all good. We have been asking her all sorts of questions and she said nothing happened for her, she was the only one alone in the car.

"She said that she was just sleeping in the car the whole night."

When she saw her this morning she could tell her daughter was unhappy as she had "swollen eyes".

"So I knew she had been crying."

She said her father would not have known she was in the vehicle when he dropped it off.

"We were really busy the whole day and then she was probably tired. Her Dad is overwhelmed."

Mrs Inoke broke down in tears as she described not being able to sleep knowing her daughter was outside, somewhere foreign and alone.

"I couldn't even close my eyes because I had been thinking of my daughter. She is my youngest, she is my baby ... I would just be so glad if she comes back home safely."

Glory is the youngest of six children, the oldest is 16.

Mrs Inoke said they first realised their daughter was missing when her husband got home from playing volleyball and she was getting dinner ready.

"[Allen] said what about Glory, where's Glory and I said 'I thought she had gone with you' and he said 'I thought she was hanging around here' and we started searching and searching the neighbours."

They were then flocked with friends and family who helped look for her.

Mr and Mrs Inoke thanked members of the community who had helped in the search.

- NZ Herald