THE invaluable work of charity Missing People has been highlighted by Bek Stratfield, the mum of Finn, who has now been missing from his Tintagel home for a year.

Finn disappeared in July last year, when he was 17-years-old. He was last seen near Tintagel.

Since then, friends, family, the community and police have carried out a number of extensive searches around the coast and inland.

Bek said the last year has not been easy, but Missing People has given her and her family invaluable support.

Bek and her friends have taken part in a number of fundraising events to generate money for the charity, and to raise awareness of its work, including a 30-mile walk.

Bek expressed thanks to friends and the local community who have shown amazing support over the last year, adding: “They have been amazing, and still are.”

If anyone has a sighting of Finn, they are asked to contact Missing People on 116000.

Bek said: “I’ll always have hope. I never give up hope; I’m his mum. We go day by day. You don’t know how it’s going to be or what’s going to come along. It’s been a hard year, but we still have hope. We still try to remain positive.”

Missing People is an independent charity and is a lifeline to the 180,000 people who go missing each year in the UK, and to their families and friends left behind.

This year marks 25 years of Missing People and thanks to the generous support of partners including players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the charity is able to operate a free and confidential helpline 24 hours a day to provide non-judgemental advice and guidance to anybody who is missing or away from home, as well as practical and emotional support to those dealing with the heartbreak of missing a loved one. Anyone affected by the issue of missing can call the helpline on 116000.

Following the publication of National Crime Agency stat­istics on missing, Missing People has published new figures relating to the number of people who are reported missing every year.

- Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK;

- 180,000 people are reported missing every year;

- There are 340,000 missing incidents every year;

- Children are more likely to be reported missing than adults: one in 200 children goes missing each year; one in every 500 adults goes missing each year.

Susannah Drury, Director of Policy, Research and People, said: “We’re pleased to have carried out this important work using NCA statistics, figures provided by Police Scotland, and an FOI response from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. For the first time we’re able to bring together a UK-wide picture of missing. Most of the people who are reported missing are vulnerable or at risk and many are reported missing multiple times, making them even more vulnerable.

“There are a wide range of reasons why adults and children go missing, with varying levels of intentionality, and often more than one cause. Here at Missing People we’re dedicated to enhancing our understanding of these different factors, which we’ll do through further research and campaigning.”