POLICE in Southend are to lose an officer dedicated to finding missing people as part of Government-imposed budget cuts.

The missing person liaison officer role will be lost as senior officers at Essex Police slash £41 million of annual spending.

The move has prompted concern from families of people who have gone missing in the past, but Essex Police insist reports of missing people will still be vigorously investigated.

A spokeswoman said: “Inquiries carried out by police after a report of a missing person is received will remain unchanged.

“The role of missing person liasion officer was created in January 2011, to provide a single point of contact for officers on all missing person issues, including dealings with partner agencies.

“These tasks will revert to being carried out by other officers, as would have been the case before January.”

However, Carole Galbally, who went missing from her home in 2009, insists the officers perform an essential role, supporting families of missing people.

Carole left her home to take an overdose in November 2009, and spent three days in Basildon Hospital before she was identified.

This was because she had intentionally removed anything which could identify her, because she was so desperate.

She had decided to go to Southend or Basildon as no one would recognise her there, as it was out of her local authority area, in South Woodham Ferrers.

This meant that despite a massive police hunt involving the RAF helicopter, Essex Police Marine Unit, the coastguard, Burnham lifeguard, as well as a poster campaign, no one could find her sat in a hospital bed.

She said: “I was in a hospital for three days before anyone clicked with a photograph published of me, and recognised it was the same person. That was a breakdown of communication, and a liaison officer is vital for that kind of communication.”

She believes a liaison officer can also help the family at what is a very difficult time.

She said: “You need to have a liaison officer to tell the family this is what is in place, we are trying to find your missing relative, this is what we are doing. Otherwise, they feel so helpless.

“How do they go about it otherwise? They don’t know where to begin.”

She believes it is particularly important for a town like Southend to have a missing person liaison officer, because missing people can be attracted to sea-side towns when they are desperate.

She said: “It would be a real tragedy, I think, if the liaison officer lost their job in Southend, because you’ve got the pier and you’ve got the sea, and people do go out there to do these things.”