Response to a missing person report - Humberside Police, November 2019

On 21 November 2019, Humberside Police received a report of a 15 year old boy missing from home. Humberside Police responded and carried out extensive enquiries in an attempt to locate him. Unfortunately, these enquiries proved unsuccessful and they were unable to locate him.

On 23 November 2019, a member of the public found the boy’s body in some woods on the outskirts of a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Paramedics attended and the boy was confirmed dead at the scene.

As is mandatory when someone dies after any form of police contact, the matter was referred to us and we began an independent investigation.

We obtained documentary evidence from police computer systems that demonstrated the police response to the report of a missing person and which detailed the risk grading of the incident and the enquiries made to locate the missing boy. We interviewed police officers and police staff involved in the search for the missing boy and considered the decisions and actions taken alongside local and national policy and guidance.

After a thorough examination of all the evidence, we found no evidence to indicate that any police officer or member of staff may have acted in a manner which would justify disciplinary action or caused or contributed to the boy’s death. All police officers and staff were treated as witnesses and cooperated fully with this investigation.

We concluded our investigation in February 2020. In October 2020, HM Coroner concluded his inquest and reached the conclusion that the boy had taken his own life.