Figures reveal region’s shock toll of vanished adults and children

ONE PERSON is reported missing every 15 minutes in Yorkshire, new figures have revealed.

The statistics released by the National Crime Agency also revealed that children in Yorkshire and the Humber were, on average, twice as likely as adults to be reported missing.

Of the 35,489 people reported missing in the year ending March 2019, some 22,779 were children.

While the vast majority of missing person cases result in the person being found straight away, the data shows that as of March last year, there are at least 255 people still missing in the region whose fate is unknown.

Some 74 of those were children at time of going missing.

West Yorkshire Police had the highest number of missing persons reports in 2018/ 19, with 18,620 reports of which 60 per cent ( 11,134) were children.

The force had the fourth highest rate of missing people per 10,000 people, after Greater Manchester, Cleveland and Dorset. It also has 14 people still at large, of which four were children at time of going missing.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Cowley, of West Yorkshire Police, said cases often leave lasting trauma on the person reported missing, as well as impacting their loved ones.

“That is why we take reports of missing people extremely seriously – especially when someone missing is thought to be “high risk,” said Det Chief Insp Cowley.

South Yorkshire Police saw 8,592 reports of missing people, 62 per cent ( 5,362) of whom were children, while Humberside received 5,650 reports in the same year with 77 per cent ( 4,397) being children. North Yorkshire Police had 2,627 missing persons reports, 72 per cent of whom ( 1,886) were children. The force has 36 people still missing, including seven children.

The Missing People charity has made a call for a “multi- agency approach” in safeguarding people once they are found.

Jane Hunter, from the charity, said: “Whilst police rightly take the lead on investigations into disappearances, we’d like to see the return of a missing person as a moment that activates a multiagency response, to identify which support measures should be put in place to safeguard and prevent further episodes.”

THE DISAPPEARANCE of a young man from North Yorkshire has been described by his father as “five years of misery”.

Rory Johnson- Hatfield, inset, vanished on Thursday November 19, 2015, after meeting friends for a drink in York City centre.

The 29- year- old from Skipton was last seen on CCTV running down Skeldergate – parallel to the River Ouse – before being captured on camera climbing on to a balcony of City Mills care home on the side facing the river.

Friends’ accounts of the evening suggest Mr Johnson- Hatfield had only drunk two pints of beer while his father, Doug Hatfield, said he looked composed and did not appear to be staggering in CCTV, suggesting his judgment was not severely impaired.

North Yorkshire Police carried out a river search in the immediate vicinity, and a second has since been carried out searching six miles either side with kayaks and cadaver dogs.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Mr Hatfield said the family believe Mr Johnson- Hatfield could have been chased.

He said: “Rory was last seen jogging down Skeldergate, then he scaled a six- foot gate to get on to the balcony and was seen by a resident at the care home. We have to wonder why he was doing this. “He must have been chased.” Data released by the National Crime Agency ( NCA) meanwhile has revealed that one person is reported missing every 15 minutes in Yorkshire. Some 255 people in the same region remain at large with their fates largely unknown, including 74 children.

While these numbers include high- profile cases such as missing York chef Claudia Lawrence and Sheffield teenager Andrew Gosden, many disappearances receive little long- term coverage.

Mr Hatfield, 62, added: “Unless there is proof someone has been abducted or foul play, [ police] are very lax about the investigation of missing people.

“The attention grabbing news is when it involves a child, a young girl or a lady. When young men go missing they get very little publicity.

“York is a big tourist spot so cases like Rory’s really need national news coverage.”

NCA data meanwhile shows that men and boys are more likely to be reported missing than women and girls.

Police chiefs in Yorkshire have described missing persons cases as “traumatic” for both the person involved and their family.

Mr Hatfield added that his family wonder what happened to their son and brother “every single day”.

“It is absolutely awful – since he disappeared it has been five years of misery.”

Mr Johnson- Hatfield is described as being 5’ 11’’, white and of slim build with short blonde hair.

On the night he went missing he was wearing a round- neck dark- coloured top, blue jeans and white and navy trainers.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “We urge anyone who has any information about Rory that they haven’t shared with the police, or anyone who has new information, to get in touch with us.”

When young men go missing they get very little publicity. Doug Hatfield, father of missing Rory Johnson- Hatfield.