Alfred Sykes

lan Hopkins QPM, MBA
Chief Constable

HM Assistant Coroner Mr Andrew Bridgeman
Coroner's Court

4 Mount Tabor Street

Stockport SK1 3AG

6" August 2019

Dear Mr Bridgeman
Re: Regulation 28 Report following the Inquest touching upon the death of Mr Alfred Sykes

Thank you for your report dated 18” June 2019 in respect of Mr Alfred Sykes (deceased) and pursuant to
Regulations 28 and 29 of The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 and paragraph 7, Schedule 5
of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Having carefully considered your report and the matters therein, | reply to the concerns raised as follows

Extract from Regulation 28:

1. My concern is that the report from the member of the public at 4:00am on 8" February of Alfred
Sykes's last sighting was given any or any adequate consideration and action, seemingly
because it was more than 300m radius from 22 Egerton Road.

Response: The information obtained from the witness who contacted the police at 0400hrs was not acted
upon immediately and the Police Search Advisor/Search manager, who had already been spoken to and
had provided initial search advice at 0300hrs, was not re-contacted. At this time this was still an.
unconfirmed sighting and therefore activity and advice concentrated on the known place last seen and
advice provide by the PolSA/Search Manager.

OPUS log — 08/02/19 04:26 — Cail from witness at 0400hrs stating that at 1600hrs 07/02/19 he came
across a gentleman on Egerton Road in the Davenport area asking call for Longmead Avenue & when
caller couldn't say where this was asking if any football fields nearby. Caller pointed him in the direction of
football field in Woodsmoor & last seen walking south on Egerton Road in direction of Woodsmoor Lane.
Male was seen asking other people further along the road. Described as white male approx.80 years of
age wearing dark jeans & grey fleece with dark woolly hat. Caller didn't know the males name but
mentions has seen Facebook report of elderly missing person from Natalie Mills & has put two and two
together. Says male didn't appear distressed in anyway but did admit to being lost. From the brief caller
has passed I've located this missing report.

Postal address: Greater Manchester Police, Openshaw Complex, Lawton Street, Openshaw, Manchester M11 ans

The PolSA/Search Manager was provided with this information shortly after coming on duty at 0700hrs on
the 8" February, ith confirmation that the mate the witness had spoken to was in fact Mr Sykes being
obtained after O900hrs. The PolSA/Search Manager recognised the significance of the information
provided by this witness and based all search advice around 300 metres of the new place last seen (PLS)
of 22 Egerton Road.

As guidance to a reasonable, realistic and proportionate size of search area, a 300 meters radius around
the PLS is recommended and nationally recognised in order to achieve a high level of confidence. A
radius of 300 metres equates to a total search area of 283,239 Square meters (or 69.9 acres). The 300
metre radius will always be a guide and natural boundaries should be used such as main roads,

motormays, railway lines, fences etc.

The decision on which boundaries are selected can be subjective and will be recommended by the
PolSA/Search Manager allocated to the investigation. Woodsmoor Lane was selected as the boundary to
the south of the 300 metre radius and as a result the fields did not form part of the search area that police
resources where tasked to

The PLS can move during the course of a search as more information or searching uncovers more
sightings or signs. As with this investigation, eighteen reports of sightings were received by the police,
there will often be reports of sightings of the missing person which turn out to be incorrect. To avoid ad
hoc searching, it is therefore important that the PLS is not changed based on these reports until a
confirmed sighting is received.

Once the search of the 300 metres around the PLS has been completed, if the person has not been
found the search should be planned according to a combination of the missing person behaviour profile
and the ‘geographic profile’, In other words, link the behaviour type of the missing person to the actual
terrain

In addition to providing search areas for divisional Police resources to search within the 300 metre radius,
the PolSA/Search Manager, in an attempt to identify a potential route, obtained the services ofa
Mountain Rescue Team trailing dog Having obtained a piece of clothing belonging to Mr Sykes, the
trailing dog handler commenced his search southwards on Egerton Road passing the fields and heading
in the direction of Mr Sykes home address. Unfortunately during the course of the search no positive trail
was achieved.

It is accepted that as a result of this new information including a direction of travel, references to a sports
field and confirmation that the male spoken to was in fact Mr Sykes, the search parameters should have

Postal address: Greater Manchester Police, Openshaw Complex, Lawton Street, Openshaw, Manchester M11 2NS

been reviewed and the fields iocated off Woodsmoor Lane should have formed part of the search area
and treated as a priority.

2. However the significance of the sighting and the information was not lost on two police officers
who on their own initiative looked around the playing fields. In evidence, EEE edvised that
just two police officers for such a large area was insufficient. | agree.

Extract from Regulation 28

Response: stated during the inquest the fields were searched by one officer, when in fact it
was searched by two. 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.

Extract from Regulation 28:

3. Had there been a greater number of officers deployed on the morning of 8" February to search
the fields to which Alfred Sykes had been directed and was last seen walking towards, it is likely
he would have been found that morning.

Response: If all of the fields in the direction Mr Sykes was travelling had been included within the
reviewed search area based on the new PLS, then more resources with the required skills and

experience would have been deployed into this area

On this occasion the decision was made to depfoy Mountain Rescue Team resources towards Bramhall
Park where Mr Sykes had previously been located. Deploying sufficient and suitably trained resources
into the location of the fields would have increased the possibility of locating Mr Sykes earlier and
potentially that morning.

Extract from Regulation 28:

4. The evidence is that Alfred Sykes would not have been found alive, in combination his frailties
and the weather but in different circumstances (particularly the weather} the outcome might have
been different for him and for others in the future.

Further, earlier discovery would have;
4, Lessened the anguish for the family;
2. Saved resources in the continued search over the following 3 days.

Response: Not deploying search resources into the fields off Woodsmoor Lane likely delayed the
discovery of Mr Sykes, potentially resulting in search and investigation tasks which may not have been

Postal address: Greater Manchester Police, Openshaw Complex, Lawton Street, Openshaw, Manchester M11 2NS-

required. If the fields were inaccessible at the material time, this would impact on the decision to search
them but this would be a decision for the PolSA based on the facts presented.

As with all incidents there will always be learning opportunities in order to improve the Police response
and minimise future potential risks

Missing Person — Review process

A missing person investigation will always be led by the police division from which the person has gone
missing and the role of the PolSA/Search Manager is to provide advice and manage searches. Greater
Manchester Police currently have a dedicated Specialist Search Unit comprising of a Search Coordinator
(PolSC) and seven PolSA’s, also referred to as Missing Persons Search Managers. These officers
provide continuous 24/7 support to the force in respect of all search related matters including Missing
Persons. Having a dedicated unit allows for continuity and constant peer review of investigations and the
search approach being adopted.

As a high risk missing person investigation becomes protracted over a period of time, the force Search
Coordinator may request a peer review by a PolSA from another force with no previous involvement in
the investigation or by the National Search Advisor. This allows for an independent review of the
investigation and ensures that the most appropriate search tactics are being adopted.

In respect of the investigation into Mr Sykes the search was not protracted however the review by a
different PolSA with no involvement should have been completed as best practice.

Missing Person Reviews

As a result of this report, with immediate effect all high risk missing person searches being conducted by
a PoISA from the Specialist Search Unit, will be reviewed by another officer on a daily basis and the
Po'SC (Force Search Coordinator) appraised of the circumstances at the earliest opportunity.

This will ensure that search strategies are appropriate and proportionate to the investigation whilst also
allowing the PoISC to refer outside of the force if deemed appropriate.

PolSA/Search Manager Continuous Professional Development

In order to remain operationally competent, PolSA’s must adhere to strict criteria set by the PNSC which
includes coordinating a minimum of number of searches annually and completing a minimum number of
hours of continuous professional development. The activity and competency levels are overseen by the
forces Search Coordinator (PoiSC).

Postal address: Greater Manchester Police, Openshaw Complex, Lawton Steet, Openshaw, Manchester M11 2NS

As a result of this incident, the annual PolSA/Search Manager CPD will now include refresher training by
way of an exercise in respect of missing person search, using incidents that have occurred within the
force or nptionally or the previous twelve months. This will ensure that officers remain operationally
competent and any training issues can be appropriately addressed.

ra
Yours sincerely

_\asicteh —

lan Hopkins
Chief Constable

Postal address: Greater Manchester Police, Openshaw Complex, Lawton Street, Openshaw, Manchester M11 2NS.