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What if the missing person is at risk?
What can the police do to find missing people?
What if I don’t know their full date of birth?
How do I look for a friend?
How do I look for a partner or spouse?
What if I am under 18 years?
How do I look for my father when he is not on my birth certificate OR How do I look for my child when I am not on their birth certificate?
How do I find my child if they are known to be ‘safe’ with the other parent?
How do I look to assemble a family tree?
How do I look for someone who is thought to be abroad?
How do I look for a relative that has been adopted or fostered?
What if I have legal inquiries?
What if the missing person is at risk?
If you are concerned about a missing person, we would encourage you to contact the police.
A missing person may be assessed as ‘at risk’ if they fit one or more of the following?
- Is the missing person under 16 or over 65 years?
- Has the missing person expressed feelings of suicide?
- Does the missing person suffer from senile dementia or Alzheimer’s?
- Is the missing person acting totally out of character?
- Is the missing person suffering from mental health issues?
- Is the missing person suffering from increased stress?
- Is the missing person suffering from an illness or a physical disability?
- Does the missing person have a learning disability?
- Is the missing person in need of regular medication/care?
- Is the missing person an addict?
If you need further advice, please see the other organisations that can help.
What can the police do to find missing people?
The police’s role in a missing person’s case is to make enquiries to try and locate a missing person. In order for Missing People to publicise a case, the person has to be reported missing to the police, and we will need to contact police to check our involvement is appropriate at this stage.
If you do not think that the person you are looking for is necessarily at risk, but you would like to try and find them, please click here to see how we can help.
What if I don’t know their full date of birth?
- Ask another family member if they know the date of birth
- If the place of birth is known, the local Registrar of births, deaths and marriages in that area may help with a date of birth. May be cheaper than contacting the General Register Office (below). Contact the local office.
- General Register Office. For obtaining public records in the UK, including birth, marriage and death certificates. Can also supply full date of birth if place of birth and rough age is known (for a small cost) General Register Office: http://www.direct.gov.uk/gro
Try the following websites for certificate searches:
How do I look for a friend?
Exceptions: If the missing person is vulnerable and reported missing to the police, Missing People may be able to help, but we would need to contact the police before working on a case.
You could try the following internet tracing services which hold the electoral roll and directory enquiries.
You could also try Friends Reunited which holds details of UK based schools and colleges - free registration but a small fee to forward e-mails.
Or leave a message on an Internet Message Board, such as:
You could also try and put a message in a local newspaper.
How do I look for a partner or spouse?
Exceptions: If the missing person is vulnerable and reported missing to the police, Missing People may be able to help, but we would need to contact the police before working on a case.
Ask if the missing persons' direct relatives could contact Missing People.
If you are having relationship difficulties and need to talk to someone about this, you could also try www.relate.org.uk
What if I am under 18 years?
Ask if a parent/older sibling (blood relative over 18) could contact Missing People instead.
You could try the following internet tracing service which hold the electoral roll and directory enquiries.
Search on the Internet for further information - e.g. typing the name into a search site such as www.google.co.uk or words such as 'find father', 'missing person' etc. There are organisations on the Internet that will help in this situation (they may charge a fee).
Or leave a message on an Internet Message Board, such as:
You could also try and put a message in a local newspaper.
How do I look for my father when he is not on my birth certificate OR How do I look for my child when I am not on their birth certificate?
Exceptions: If there is some legal evidence or written acceptance of parental responsibility, e.g. maintenance order.
You could try the following internet tracing service which hold the electoral roll and directory enquiries.
Friends Reunited: holds details of UK based schools and colleges - free registration but a small fee to forward e-mails.
Search on the Internet for further information - e.g. typing the name into a search site such as www.google.co.uk or words such as 'find father', 'missing person' etc. There are organisations on the Internet that will help in this situation (they may charge a fee)
Or leave a message on an Internet Message Board, such as:
You could also try and put a message in a local newspaper.
How do I find my child if they are known to be ‘safe’ with the other parent?
Exceptions: if child is over 18, possibly 16, so long as Child Support Agency purposes can be ruled out.
- Reunite: 0116 255 6234 / www.reunite.org - deals with international custody disputes.
- If you have questions around the custody of a child, we would advise you to talk to a Solicitor or the local Citizens Advice Bureau www.citizensadvice.org.uk
How do I look to assemble a family tree?
There are a number of online resources where you can look into finding out about your family history.
Try the following websites for certificate searches:
How do I look for someone who is thought to be abroad?
Exceptions: If reported missing to the police in the UK.
- The advice appropriate desk at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- The Salvation Army www.salvationarmy.org Family Tracing Service, search for immediate family members for the purpose of reconciliation. Operates in over 100 countries around the world.
- British Red Cross: www.redcross.org.uk/trace International family tracing and message service aimed at restoring and maintaining family links between close relatives separated as a result of armed conflict, natural or other disasters, or where special Red Cross assistance is required.
- Overseas Section, General Register Office. The Overseas section holds records of the births, marriages and deaths of British citizens overseas that have been registered with the British registering authorities, e.g. British Consuls, High Commissions, HM Forces, Civil Aviation Authority and The Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen.
- International Social Services: www.issuk.org.uk for relatives of people missing overseas. They have contacts with similar organisations in other countries. Also deal with adopted and others seeking contact with birth parents and vice versa. Tracing is available as part of ISS work in complex family cases only.
- Missing Abroad www.missingabroad.org is an organisation for families suddenly confronted with the unthinkable, providing access to both knowledge and, where possible, finance to ensure that every effort can be made to find the person as quickly as possible.
How do I look for a relative that has been adopted or fostered?
There are organisations which specialise in dealing with cases where someone has been adopted or fostered:
- BAAF: (British Agency for Adoption and Fostering) http://www.baaf.org.uk/. Issues and tracing concerning adoption and fostering.
- NORCAP: (Nat. Org. for Counselling Adoptees & Parents) http://www.norcap.org.uk/ supports people who have been affected by adoption. Searching advice. Specialist research service. Publications including specialist guide to searching for relatives lost through adoption.
- International Social Services: www.issuk.org.uk for relatives of people missing overseas. Deals with adoptees and others seeking contact with birth parents and vice versa.
- The Adoption Contact Register: Available at the General Register Office, the ACR contains a record of every person who has been adopted through a court in England or Wales. Information on applying for adoption certificates, receiving information on original birth details and advice on making contact with adopted people and their relatives. They also register interest in wanting to be found (by both parties).
- TALK adoption www.talkadoption.org.uk for young people up to the age of 25 who are adoptees, their siblings, friends or birth parents. Advice given on tracing relatives, rights, birth identity etc.
What if I have legal enquiries?
Missing People is currently campaigning on behalf of families of missing people to ensure that clear and proper legal guidance is available in these difficult and confusing situations.
To follow Missing People’s progress in this campaign visit the Missing Rights pages. Alternately, you can consult the following resources:
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