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My mother added my sister to her savings account, but as a 'second signatory'. Her notion was that the cash was safe because it took two people to be present to withdraw anything. My sister's name was on the account in the event of my mother's death and my mother believed this would make the finances easier to sort out. After two years, it became apparent that my sister had been faking my mother's signature, and helping herself to the cash. Soon after being discovered, and the police being (briefly) involved, my sister disappeared, and has been gone for over four years. We have absolutely no idea where she is, and, as it transpired that she is a drug addict, we are unsure if she is actually still alive. Anyway, there is £3k left in the account, but the bank will not release the funds to my mother without my sister's signature. Forms have been completed, interviews conducted, but still they refuse to help. My mother is 70 this year, and the whole business is likely to finish her off. The bank were happy to accept a very ropey fake signature from my sister, but the police were not at all interested. I have no idea how to move this forward.

This could be a good one for the Citizens Advice Bureau and there is also missing persons charity, website www.missingpeople.org.uk , which campaigns on problems that the people left behind encounter. Financial problems are really common. You could contact them and see if they have any suggestions. It may be that you have to make a big effort to track your sister down if you're to get the situation resolved. Good luck