Northumbria Police encourages sign-up to missing veterans scheme
The service is free and run independently from police with the provider Safe and Found Online.A variety of information can be held, including photographs, a physical description, any medical conditions, mobile phone numbers of the veteran and friends, vehicle details, whether they have gone missing before, and whether they pose a risk to themselves.Det Ch Insp Kevin Ashurst said the idea was "simple but critical" in supporting veterans who may be struggling, providing key information in "seconds". It helped with "golden hour principles", reducing the time taken to gather information before officers could respond, he said."It's a really, really invaluable tool to help us find those missing persons quicker and more effectively."
The scheme is being supported by charities including the Newcastle United Foundation, The Foundation of Light and Veterans in Crisis in Sunderland, along with the National Police Chiefs' Council, and has been adopted by a third of police forces in England.Veterans in Crisis founder Ger Fowler said it was now part of the charity's referral service."It's a precaution to help those who may need it down the line," he said."It can save so much time at the beginning. "When somebody goes missing, it can take an hour to find out some information. Now, with this, you can literally find out within seconds."
Lance Corporal Forcer joined the Army at 16, serving in Northern Ireland and Kosovo, but struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse when he left the armed forces. Ms Lilly said: "He struggled for years but it means the world to me and Alan's children that we have a lasting legacy, that his life meant something and continues to."
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Richard was sacked from children's TV programme Blue Peter in 1998 after admitting to taking cocaine. To this day he is the only presenter in the history of the show to have been sacked. 'I got a Blue Peter job at 21 and then lost it at 22 and it was a big scandal at the time,' Richard reflected. 'I suppose there's something about getting caught for taking drugs where you can just come back, can't you? It's not one of the worst ones. 'There are far worse ones that make you look like a malicious person. If you beat someone up, do something aggressively sexual, say something racist... those reveal something about you that people don't like. I think the desire to get drunk and get high is something people generally can get over.' Now a successful creator of TV formats and the man behind shows like This Is My House and I Literally Just Told You, Richard admits his lifestyle can still get in the way. 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