THE father of Claudia Lawrence, the York woman who disappeared in 2009, is backing a new move aimed at supporting the families of missing people.

The Government has said every police force should ensure families are automatically signposted to support services when their loved ones go missing.

Home Office Minister James Brokenshire said it was vital that police and local agencies worked together “to give the right help and advice to those who need it most”.

An estimated 200,000 people go missing each year in the UK and families are often left with a “painful struggle against bureaucracy”, campaigners said.

Under the new strategy, the Government expects police will ensure all families of missing persons are automatically given information on the support which is available to them.

Mr Brokenshire said: “This strategy sets the direction for local agencies to review the strategies they have in place and consider whether they can and should be doing more.”

The Crime and Security Minister launched the new strategy, which focuses on prevention, protection and provision of support, at the charity Missing People in south-west London.

Mr Lawrence, whose daughter was a chef at the University of York when she went missing in March 2009, praised Mr Brokenshire for his role in producing the strategy.

He said: “It’s good to get a strategy at all, and the minister is obviously very committed to it. To have at least some signposting to families and some help for them is going to be a really good thing which has not happened in the past.”

Mr Lawrence said that in his experience the provision of support was “regional and patchy”, with “no indication of where help may be available”.

He said he believed the new strategy could lead to more missing people being found.

“Of course it can if there’s joined-up thinking between departments and organisations. The more people who are looking for Claudia and for other missing people, the better,” he said.