Alfred Sykes
18 Jun 2019 · Coroner Andrew Bridgman · Manchester (South)
The coroner's concerns
1. high risk missing person not acted upon
“GMP were informed that Mr [name redacted] was missing at around 8.00pm on 7" February. He was treated as a high risk missing person from the outset”
2. delayed discovery of body
“On 11'" February two members of the public (one of whom knew of [the deceased]) and who had heard he was missing also took it upon themselves to search the fields, finding him”
3. insufficient officer deployment
“Had there been a greater number of officers deployed on the morning of 8" February to search the fields to which [the deceased] had been directed and was last seen walking towards, it is likely he would have been found that morning”
4. family distress
“lessened the anguish for the family”
5. wasted resources
“saved resources in the continued search over the following 3 days”
Responses
2019-0201-Response-from-Greater-Manchester-Police-Redacted.pdf ↗· Greater Manchester Police
Stated action
“The fields located off Woodsmoor Lane should have formed part of the search area and as such search trained police officers or members of the Mountain Rescue Team with the appropriate experience and training should have been deployed into the playing fields.”