If you know any of your neighbour's friends or family, the first step should be to make a few enquiries with them to see if they know their whereabouts. If no one has seen the person for a few days and no one has a spare key, the police can be contacted to enter the property and check on the welfare of the person.
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There is no rule that states you must wait 24 hours to report a missing person. It depends on the person who is missing, their age, mental state and vulnerability.
If the missing person is a child, elderly or a person in vulnerable state, you need to alert the police straight away.
If the person is late home or late for an appointment, then it is sensible to try and contact the person or the last place they were, then wait a reasonable amount of time prior to contacting the police.
For more information please see below and the websites in Related Information.
Missing People is the UK's only charity dedicated to finding missing people, it supports the work of police, Social Services and works in partnership with other agencies.
Missing People - for sightings and to report someone missing:
Runaway Helpline - for young people under 18, to call who are away from home or care:
Message Home - for missing adults, allowing them to pass a message home:
