...to be very concerned about this friend?

[duchesse]

Ok, so, a not very hypothetical situation:

Friend is very seriously ill (has only been given a few more months to live). Is in relative denial about this despite all treatment having failed.

Has been getting on really badly with husband.

Has now disappeared- been gone since Friday evening. Her phone has been traced to a town on the south coast but she is not answering it. Husband beside himself.

She is normally a very feisty woman but things have been going quite badly in her household recently. She is not happy there.

What does this sound like to you? A woman who just wants a few days away by herself, or something more sinister? Would she want to be found? Is it worth starting a MN search campaign in the town in question?

What would you do?

There is only so much the police can do in any case, yes they can trace the phone but the techniques used ime will give an area only, not a specific location to within a couple of metres. Also, the phone does have to be on to give an updated reading, otherwise it will give a reading of where it was on last. It may have changed in the year that I've been out of the police however.

The police will have been given a description by her husband, this will be circulated with any other info via the officers' radios, and I would expect the observation message to be re-issued a couple of hours later as well. All units in the area will be aware of the description. One unit should have been dispatched to the area to specifically search for her, but other than that there won't be anything specific they will do to find her at this stage, I'm sorry.

My neice was very unstable when ,we were searching for her ,but the police were still going to speak to her. They will not force someone to come back, but they can make contact and at least put your minds at rest.

She's been found safe and well and has texted our friend! She says she needs some time away an is going to stay where she is for a few days. Good news then, can breathe easier.

ps; sussex police found her.

thank you for the update. Sounds like she has finally taken on board the situation she is in

That is great she has been found.

Let us hope she gets all the support she needs from now on.

Oh that's better new then. Such a relief for you and her family too of course.

glad to hear this