IT’S a frightening statistic, but every two minutes, someone in Britain goes missing. Fortunately, the majority are found again within 48 hours, but 2,000 a year simply vanish, leaving a host of unanswered questions behind.

The Missing introduces three families who have had to deal with the disappearance of a loved one – a brother, a husband, and a mother. In all three cases, it was completely out-of-character for the missing person to have simply left without contacting anyone, and the police are as baffled as everyone else.

The programme looks at what happens after the initial panic and shock of the first few days fades, exploring the months and years of uncertainty that follow. It finds that the friends and relatives live in hope that their loved ones will one day be found, and some have gone to extraordinary lengths to try to bring the missing person home again.