William Tyrrell’s grandmother was initially left ‘shocked and confused’ when she saw a photograph of the missing toddler stuck to Schapelle Corby’s handbag on Sunday.

But she now thinks the attention-grabbing ploy was a ‘good idea’.

Natalie Collins, 57, spoke with Daily Mail Australia on Monday just hours after Ms Corby’s dramatic exit from Indonesia where she was seen holding a black handbag decorated with a picture of William in his Spiderman outfit.

‘When I first saw it I was a bit shocked and confused and upset about it – I was thinking ”why is she doing this”,’ Mrs Collins told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I was woken up with texts asking how I felt about it – but I think it is probably a good thing,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘She probably thought she is back in Australia – and instead of having all of the media attention on her she would put attention on a cause that matters, like William.’

Other members of William’s family, however, were immediately defensive after seeing the convicted drug smuggler’s handbag.

‘We are not happy,’ they wrote on Facebook.

‘William’s family and their campaign to support the NSW Police in their investigation in the search for William have absolutely no association with Schapelle Corby, her supporters or her family and had no prior knowledge of Miss Corby’s intention to use William’s image in this way.

‘While the Where’s William Campaign aims to increase awareness where possible, this situation regarding Miss Corby has no association whatsoever to William, his loved ones or their campaign to find their little boy.’

William’s went missing on the NSW Mid North Coast on September 12, 2014.

The then three-year-old boy was playing in the yard when police believe he was abducted – no body has been found since.

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