A NEW scheme which aims to combat child abduction is being launched today.
The Child Rescue Alert would be used in extreme circumstances and will see information distributed to the media to raise awareness of a child’s disappearance.
It has been designed like the AMBER alert system, which has been used in the United States since 1997.
The launch coincides with International Missing Children’s Day, and is being supported by Greater Manchester Police.
More than 100,000 children go missing every year in the UK. Many are quickly reunited with their family but in some cases the situation is much more serious.
Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney from GMP said: “The Child Rescue Alert system would only be activated in very extreme circumstances but could prove to be the difference between life and death for the missing child.
“Activating a Child Rescue Alert allows us to get a message out to the public quickly and maximise our chances of finding the child and returning them to safety as quickly as possible.”
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