The M.E.N. has helped win a major victory for the families of children who have run away from home.

Relatives of missing youngsters will now be treated as victims of crime which will mean a huge increase in help as they cope with their heartache.

The major shift in policy comes after we revealed how police in Greater Manchester received a staggering 11,819 reports of missing children last year – with 2,281 of those aged 11 or younger, and the youngest just three.

New government guidance will – for the first time place – police under a statutory duty to put relatives of the ‘disappeared’ in contact with support agencies. They will also be entitled to counselling, publicity, mediation and legal advice.

Comment: A common-sense change to help with anguish of missing children

The measures form part of a new national plan to tackle the problem of runaways. The strategy, being announced by the Home Office today, follows a parliamentary inquiry into the issue by the House of Commons’ all-party group for runaway and missing children and adults.

The committee – chaired by Stockport MP Ann Coffey – has been influential in keeping pressure on the government to act, and shaping the new plan.

Ms Coffey praised the M.E.N’s role in highlighting the issue and bringing the reforms about.

She said: "The publicity the M.E.N. has given to this issue has impressed on all agencies the importance of working together to protect children.

"Awareness of the problem is now very high thanks to the coverage. Historically, if your house was burgled you would automatically get offers of support, but if your child went missing you may be offered nothing. This strategy will change that.

"Protecting missing children and vulnerable adults and providing effective support for their families is crucial. Listening to families of missing people talk of their devastation during our recent inquiry was a very sobering experience. You could literally hear the pain in their voices.

"This strategy will help all the agencies involved work effectively together to prevent children and adults going missing, protect them when they do and provide help for the heartbroken families who are left behind.

"Every police force and government agency must now see missing children as a child protection issue and vulnerable missing adults as a safeguarding issue. I think this strategy sends out a strong message and will encourage agencies to work closely with police – to share data and recognise patterns of missing persons so they know how to best target resources."

The M.E.N. investigation revealed how 327 children went missing eight or more times last year – with one youngster racking up 100 incidents and others dozens each. Investigating those 327 cases alone cost police a staggering £7.2m of taxpayers’ cash. Nearly half of the reports of missing children – 5,598 – related to youngsters living in care at the time.

The new plan – called the missing children and adults’ strategy – comes two weeks after proposals to combat ‘child-sex slavery’ were published by the Department Of Education. Both reports highlight the link between children going missing and the high risk of sexual exploitation.

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