UK police advised not to dismiss information from psychics

LONDON: British police officers searching for missing people have been advised not to dismiss information received through psychics who claim to have supernatural powers.

According to draft guidelines published by the UK's College of Policing to be used by the country's police forces, information from psychics should be "evaluated in the context of the case".

The document has been put out for public consultation until October 9 and is designed to help ensure that cases of missing people are investigated effectively.

"High-profile missing person investigations nearly always attract the interest of psychics and others, such as witches and clairvoyants, stating that they possess extrasensory perception," it reads.

"Any information received from psychics should be evaluated in the context of the case, and should never become a distraction to the overall investigation and search strategy unless it can be verified.

"These contacts usually come from well-intentioned people, but the motive of the individual should always be ascertained, especially where financial gain is included. The person's methods should be asked for, including the circumstances in which they received the information."

The charity Missing People said, "As a non-judgmental organisation, we respect the fact that some families of missing people will want to try every avenue in order to find a loved one."

"Research based on interviews with the families of missing people conducted by the charity shows that no interviewees reported significant findings or comfort from the experience of consulting psychics or mediums."