ONE thousand six hundred fewer people were reported missing in Dorset between 2020 and 2021 than the previous year.

A freedom of information request revealed 5,014 people were reported missing in the county in the financial year 2020-21.

This included 107 people aged under 11, 2,393 people aged between 12 and 17, 1,456 people aged between 18 and 39, 673 40 to 59-year-olds, 376 people aged 60 and over and nine people with an unknown age.

Between 2019-20, 6,640 people were reported missing.

A total of 221 were below the age of 11, 3,543 people aged between 12 and 17, 1,592 people aged between 18 and 39, 796 40 to 59-year-olds, 463 people aged 60 and over and 31 people with an unknown age.

For the period between April 1 and June 30 this year, Dorset Police received 1,485 missing person incidents, with 829 individuals missing.

The FOI revealed the longest outstanding missing person was from December 1972.

Superintendent Heather Dixey, Force lead for missing people, said: “The issue of missing people is very complex and each case is unique to the person who is missing. There are as many background stories as there are reports of a person going missing.

“Some people are lost and do not know where they are or get into physical difficulties and need rescuing. Others experience a mental health crisis leaving a certain location or have not been heard from and are therefore reported missing by somebody who is concerned about their welfare. There are also occasions where people choose not to be in contact with their friends, family or agencies who have a duty of care, but have not communicated this or have not let their loved ones know they are safe and well.

“No matter what the individual circumstances are, the police have a duty to ensure the welfare of each person who is reported missing.

“Officers conduct many enquiries in an effort to find a missing person. These are a combination of physical searches in areas where the person might be and desk-based activities. Throughout each incident a constant assessment of the risk factors is also being conducted.

“Due to the immensely varied reasons why a person might be missing, which are often health-based, it would not be possible for police to influence how many people are reported missing in the majority of cases. Our focus and efforts are on bringing each case to a swift conclusion and providing support for anyone who needs it.”

Charity Missing People had details of eight people reported missing from the county.

The oldest report is Neil Drydon, missing from Swanage, and dates back to April 1985. He was 25 at the time.

Sean Durkin, 39 at the time, was reported missing from Bradstock in 1993. Sarah Fenton, also 29, was reported missing from Poole in 2012.

Gerald Turner, 67, from Swanage, Hung Van Vo, 22, from Bournemouth, and Mark Keadell, 50, from Poole, were all reported missing in 2018.

Tania Santwand, 25, from Bournemouth, was reported missing in 2019, and Muhammed Shahid, 19, from Bournemouth, was reported missing in 2021.