EVERY day several people are reported missing in East Lancashire. In January alone, 71 people were reported missing in the Eastern Division, which covers Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, with each case involving a considerable amount of police time, from making initial enquiries with relatives to searching the surrounding area for vital clues. So how do the police deal with missing people and what help is available for those whose lives are in such turmoil that they consider running away? Reporter RACHEL PINDER investigates.

WHEN we hear about people who have gone missing, it's often a child who has run away from home after an argument, or even a parent trying to escape their responsibilities.

A missing person can cause considerable heartbreak for the family they've left behind, as they only feel helpless sitting by the telephone waiting for news.

But some people go missing on a regular basis for various reasons, and usually return home of their own accord after a few days.

For Superintendent Russ Weaver, operations manager for the eastern division of the Lancashire Constabulary, every missing person has to be treated as a priority, whatever their circumstances.

On a daily basis he monitors the details of each person and decides how to deploy police officers to deal with every situation.

He said: "People go missing for a variety of reasons. We keep a detailed log of every missing person and we treat each individual case very seriously. I monitor the log each day to find out how many cases are outstanding and check the circumstances as to why the person may have gone missing. The most vulnerable cases would then be given priority. "Some people don't want to be found and have deliberately chosen to leave home. We have a duty to make sure that is the case, by tracing them, making sure they are safe and not in danger, and informing relatives not to worry."

Supt Weaver explained that records are kept on file of every person who has gone missing so they can be accessed for details should they go missing again. In some cases, where the person has acute problems, such as a history of mental illness, other agencies such as social services will also get involved.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "Social services would only get involved with a missing person depending on the circumstances in which they were found and the situation they are returning to.

"If a child had run away from one of our establishments, it would be normal practice to try to identify the reasons why that young person has run away, and, once that person has been identified, to find a reason for it.

"We would not automatically refer a child who had run away to a psychologist unless we had other information in respect of the circumstances."

Supt Weaver said that during the process of tracking down a missing person, the police rely on the cooperation of the public so the person can be traced as quickly as possible. The early stages of the investigation could prove to be critical at a later stage if the missing person has come to any harm.

The majority of cases are dealt with by uniformed police officers, by following up leads from family and friends as well as potential sightings. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance are taken into account. For instance, it might be totally out of character or there might be an indication they could harm themselves if they have a history of suicidal tendencies. Once the missing person has been traced, they are interviewed by police to find out where they have been, who they have been with and the reasons why they went missing. If it was apparent there had been problems relating to domestic circumstances, the police would refer the case to social services.

Supt Weaver said: "The vast number of people who go missing have a number of problems, every one of which is different. Many people who go missing are vulnerable because they are young or they have personal problems or mental health difficulties which mean they are not in a position to look after themselves.

"However, the majority of people who go missing return home safe and well. Most children who go missing will be reunited with their parents, and really it's a matter for them to resolve as a family. They would be interviewed about whether they had been involved in any crime or whether they had been a victim of crime whilst they had been missing and it would be fully investigated.

"Dealing with missing people is just one fraction of the demands on police officers, but we don't want people to put off contacting us when a relative or friend goes missing as we need to start making enquiries as soon as possible."

Bill Riley, director of Pendle, Burnley and Rossendale Samaritans, said: "We are not always made aware of a caller's circumstances, as we only know what the caller themselves wants to tell us. I'm sure we have talked to people who have left home for whatever reason, and are going through a serious trauma.

"Anyone who goes missing probably has good reason, and may have problems which they possibly need to share with someone. I would hope they would share their problems with the Samaritans if they needed to." Father Jim McCartney is director of the THOMAS organisation, for those on the margin of society, which is based at St Anne's RC, Blackburn, and which provides help and advice for people who have left home.

He said: "There are those people who need to get away at times, but also those who are very confused and tend to be the most vulnerable, and that is the group which concerns me. We must not be complacent, and we need to take their problems seriously."

Superintendent Russ Weaver, Eastern Division operations manager, is pictured at his computer.

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