When a child goes missing and police believe they may be in immediate or serious danger, people in the surrounding area should be alerted as quickly as possible.

I am calling for a national Missing Child Emergency Alert system that can send an alert directly to mobile phones in the relevant local area.

The alert could include the child’s age, description, what they were wearing, where and when they were last seen, and an official photo or link where appropriate.

It could also give clear instructions from police, such as asking people to check gardens, sheds, outbuildings, CCTV, Ring doorbells and dashcam footage, and to immediately report any possible sightings.

Many people may live only streets away from a missing child and have no idea a search is taking place until they happen to see something on social media or the news.

This would not need to be used every time a child is reported missing. Police could decide when an alert is appropriate based on the child’s age, vulnerability and the level of immediate risk.

In those crucial early stages, getting information directly onto thousands of phones locally could give police many more eyes and ears helping to find a missing child.