Major search after dementia man goes missing for fourth time in a year

1:33pm Thursday 13th December 2007

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A MAJOR police search was launched for a dementia sufferer after he went missing for the forth time in a year year.

Robert Burns, 72, known as Bob, went missing from the White Cliffe care home, East Park Road, Blackburn at approximately 3pm on Wednesday.

He was found nine hours later, six miles away in Accrington, near ASDA, in Hyndburn Road.

Mr Burns suffers from dementia, diabetes and high blood pressure. His dementia is described as seven on a scale of one to ten.

The nursing home believes that he may have leftthe building after a visitor failed to shut the door properly.

Care home staff conducted their own search for Mr Burns when they realised he was missing, before alerting the police at 5pm.

The police then searched the care home and its grounds with a police dog as well as searching two adjacent properties and various addresses of importance to Mr Burns such as his church and previous addresses.

Thirteen volunteers from Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue team also began searching nearby Corporation Park with flashlights and helmet-mounted lights at about 10:30pm.

On the three previous occasions Mr Burns has gone missing this year he was found in Larkhill, in Blackburn town centre and at a friend's house in Mill Hill.

At 11:30pm police recieved a phonecall reporting a possible sighting of a man fitting Mr Burn's description in the Hyndburn Road area of Accrington.

A police spokesperson said: "An Accrington patrol went to the area and collected Mr Burns. He was then transported to be dealt with by a Blackburn patrol who took him to the Royal Blackburn Hospital for checks because he was very, very cold and confused.

"He was later released and returned to the care home."

A spokesperson for White Cliffe care home said: "We think that one of the visitors on Wednesday did not shut the front door properly and that is how he got out.

"We are very happy that he is back safe and well, although he went to hospital when he was found because he was very cold.

"We picked him up from hospital at about 1am."