A SCHEME has been launched in North Yorkshire to help police find missing people with dementia.

The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme which provides police with quick and detailed information about a person's background and history to help speed up the time taken to find them.

Under the scheme, someone living with dementia or their friends, family or carer completes a form with their daily routine, medication, mobility and places of significance to them, and keeps it in a safe place where it can be quickly found if they go missing. This information will help narrow down police searches for the missing person.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick is also the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) lead for dementia, and said the national scheme which had been adopted in North Yorkshire would help make reporting by friends or family less stressful.

He said: "The Herbert Protocol is designed to provide the police with access to accurate information as soon as possible, meaning officers can ensure that their actions and searches are targeted on the basis of specific information. In such situations, it can often mean the difference between life and death."

The scheme is also supported by City of York Council. For more information go to northyorkshire.police.uk/herbertprotocol or your local police station.