Text alerts to help missing-children hunt

GREATER Manchester Police has launched a campaign to speed up the hunt for missing children.

GMP is supporting the UK’s Child Rescue Alert, a system launched earlier this month by the police Child Exploitation and Online Protection division, the charity Missing People and communication expert Groupcall.

It will allow GMP to send thousands of alerts to members of the public who have registered to receive free notifications about missing children.

Det Insp Paul Parker from GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group said: “Any child that goes missing is a worry and this alert, while used very rarely, can assist emergency services such as police..

“It is imperative that as many members of the public as possible know about it. We would encourage people to register.”

Around 140,000 children go missing across the UK every year. Alerts will be issued on the highest priority cases, when a child is considered in imminent danger of serious harm.

The system allows police to issue notifications to specific parts of the country, allowing for focus on the best available intelligence on a child’s whereabouts.

Register for free alerts at www.childrescuealert.org.uk