New team of experts to head up UK missing children cases

Missing children cases will be headed up by a new team of experts from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre from July 2011.

The announcement by the Home Office Minister James Brokenshire, comes on International Missing Children’s Day.

Minister for Crime and Security James Brokenshire said: “Around 230,000 missing children reports are made in the UK every year. The risks children are exposed to are severe and the harm they suffer can be very serious so it is crucial we can act quickly.

“CEOP’s new responsibility for national missing children’s services means they can bring their significant child protection expertise to tackle this important issue.”

When a child goes missing, the team will head a national response and work with local police forces and the wider child protection community.

Chief Executive of CEOP, Peter Davies said: “Today’s announcement is about CEOP providing a national focus for missing children within the policing community and continuing to do what is fundamental to our role – co-ordinating all sectors so that front line practitioners, parents and of course children, get the best advice, service and response that collectively we can offer.”