FOI 34096

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: HRC0034096/26

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 6^th October 2026. Please find below the response to your request:

Please could you provide the following information for each of the financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26:

1. The total number of missing person incidents involving children aged 17 or under recorded by your force.
2. Of those missing person incidents involving children aged 17 or under, the number where a child sexual exploitation (CSE) marker, flag or equivalent vulnerability marker was recorded against the missing person incident.

Please provide the figures broken down by financial year.

I am seeking aggregate figures only and am not requesting any personal data or information that could identify individual children.

If your force does not use a specific CSE marker, please provide the equivalent figure using the closest relevant category or marker available in your systems, and please specify the category used.

Reply

West Mercia Police have conducted searches and hold information in relation to your request.

1. The total number of missing person incidents involving children aged 17 or under recorded by your force.

Numbers of Missing Reports for Under 18s:

1. Of those missing person incidents involving children aged 17 or under, the number where a child sexual exploitation (CSE) marker, flag or equivalent vulnerability marker was recorded against the missing person incident.

Numbers of Missing reports for Under 18s possible CSE*:

* Possible Child Sexual Exploitation Cases is defined as: - Missing person episodes where the person is under 18 and was a sexual offence victim, was sexually exploited, was trafficked or was involved in prostitution