Anguish for families as 4,500 people are reported missing in a single year

Heartbreak behind the statistics as data reveals a continuing rise in the number of disappearances

AROUND 4,500 children and adults went missing in a single year in Hampshire, figures show.

Statistics released by the National Crime Agency show a continuing rise in the number of calls Hampshire police receive about missing people.

This is while actual incidents of people disappearing has reduced in Hampshire during 2018/19.

Many who go missing do so repeatedly.

But behind each figure is a family or carers in anguish – waiting to hear what has happened.

Charlie Budd, a 25-yearold man from Portsmouth, went missing last Wednesday, leaving his loved ones issuing desperate pleas to find him following the ‘out of character’ disappearance’.

While Charlie’s sudden disappearance remains in the early stages, the dad-of-two .... from Wymering is in the category most associated with those who go missing — men.

In Charlie’s case, loved ones have done everything they can to find him after he ‘vanished’ with no clues left.

The groundworker’s former partner Georgia Stabb said his disappearance was all the more puzzling because he has not been in touch to speak with the children.

No-one has heard from Charlie — whose phone has been turned off — despite the appeal to find him being shared numerous times on social media and featuring in The News.

Georgia, 32, said: ‘No-one has seen or heard from Charlie since last Wednesday. It’s out of character as he would normally be in touch over the twins.

‘He lives with a man who said he last saw him on Wednesday morning.

‘The bed has not been slept in since then. He only has the clothes on his back and his bank card.

‘He’s literally vanished. We’ve been sharing it on social media but no-one has heard anything. All his family and friends think it is weird.

‘His mum said he was a bit depressed a couple of weeks ago but he was perfectly fine when I saw him last Monday.’

Amy Budd, Charlie’s sister, posted on Facebook: ‘Charlie has still not been found. If anyone has seen my little brother Charlie Budd please could you let one of us know, just need to know he’s safe and ok so we can stop worrying.’

Family members posted on social media to say his bank card was used in London, but they do not know if he used it.

The police figures show 14,513 calls were made in 2018/19 – with a year-on-year increase since 2013/14 when just 8,516 calls were received.

Despite this, the number of actual incidents involving adults vanishing dropped by 285 to 2,952.

For children, there were 1,409 fewer missing incidents than in the year before, with 6,257.

Before this drop there was an upwards trend from 2014/15 onwards.

Overall, though, the number of adult individuals going missing dropped by 87 to 2,348, while the number of children fell to 2,137 – a decrease of 421.

No-one has seen or heard from Charlie. It’s out of character as he would normally be in touch... Georgia Stabb