EVERY year thousands of people across the country go missing - but the vast majority are found within days.
But for dozens of North-East families there is a loved one still missing from their lives years after they first vanished.
Today we look at a handful of cases from the North-East - read more about 8 of them here.
Special events pass with no news and the waiting continues for answers for the loved ones of the region's long-term missing persons.
This week we look into the case files of the dozens of people across the North-East and Yorkshire who disappeared without trace - and look at the work that still goes on to find them.
According to the charity Missing People, there are almost 5,000 long-term missing in the UK.
Some of the long-term missing persons from across the North-East
And a total of 21 “current” disappearance cases are from the North-East, with a further 47 from across Yorkshire and the Humber.
The organisation says people go missing for a wide range of reasons, and there is very often more than one cause.
Going missing can be an indication that someone is struggling for one or more reasons; anything from being unhappy at home or school, to experiencing mental ill-health, to risks around exploitation and grooming.
A spokesman the charity said: “A person is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK.
“Missing People is the only charity in the UK which is dedicated to bringing the 176,000 children and adults that go missing every year back together with their families.
“Some missing people you will have heard of, but many more you won’t.
“For their families, life without them can be a desperate and unbearable struggle. We are there for them every day of the year, at the end of a phone, text or email, ready to use every means possible to search for and find their missing loved ones and to provide vital on-going support to families where the agonising wait turns into years, not just days.”
Specialist officers carrying out searches
Latest data released by the charity reveals that Durham Police received 4,210 calls relating to missing children and adults from 2014 to 2019.
Cleveland Police received 9,827 – there was no data for 2015/2016.
Elsewhere in the region, North Yorkshire officers received 5,943 calls and Northumbria Police recorded 15,723.
Once a person is reported missing police will launch an investigation.
According to North Yorkshire Police, when a report is made, a force incident manager is informed and a risk assessment is immediately undertaken which informs the policing response to ensure that a person is safely found as quickly as possible.
All available information is assessed in accordance with the College of Policing’s Authorise Professional Practice to determine the risk to the individual involved.
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The application of this process also ensures each case is investigated effectively and is appropriately supported by policing resources.
Where a person has gone missing in certain surroundings for example; near water or in the countryside, police are also able to employ the services of specialist local teams; such as regional underwater search teams or local mountain search and rescue teams.
Media appeals are also issued locally and nationally and are shared via our social media channels, to request the help and support of media and public in the search for the missing person. Regular updates are also shared via these channels throughout the investigation.
Police also work alongside the national charity Missing People to increase the reach of their appeals. On average each year, North Yorkshire Police deals with more than 2,000 reports of missing people, with the vast majority of people being found safe and well.
Police do not close a case until it has come to a conclusion and as long as there are active lines of enquiry they will continue to follow them.
Sadly sometimes, despite the effort of extensive police resources and the exhaustion of every investigative opportunity, some people are not found.Every case is different and each one is assessed to determine if the individual requires safeguarding to be put in place.
If so, police will work with the relevant partners to ensure the appropriate measures are taken.
- Visit missingpeople.org.uk if you can help in any of these cases.
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