The programme, by the charity Locate International, will be limited initially to a small number of police forces. But the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has said it could be extended nationwide, bringing in volunteer detectives from around the world to reinvestigate all 13,000 cold cases on the National Crime Agency's UK missing persons unit.
"There is currently no dedicated, specialist service for families to turn to when a case remains unsolved or is not being progressed satisfactorily," said Dave Grimstead, the retired police officer who founded the charity.
"Research shows that those left behind... will often engage in lifelong and traumatic searches."
Locate International has been running a small below-the-radar pilot scheme since 2019 with police forces in Devon and Cornwall, Norfolk and Hampshire. They are now seeking to extend the number of police forces they work with.
Last year, the charity's team of volunteers investigated 128 cases of missing persons and unidentified remains, identifying 26 people.
The NPCC is considering a national pilot scheme across all police forces. The programme would include live and cold cases, with forces sharing their internal files with Locate International's vetted volunteers.
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