Locating friends and family

The Council sometimes receives enquiries from the public who want to locate long lost friends or family, who they believe may be living in Devon. The Data Protection Act 2018 does not allow the Council to confirm or deny the whereabouts of people, to other members of the public, without the person’s consent. However, the Council may be able to pass on a message, if we have their address on our systems.

If the Council is not able to pass on a message, for example because they are not known to us, there are other ways that the public can try and trace people.

Finding missing people Tracing family history

British Red Cross – relatives separated by wars or disasters.

Telephone: 0800 169 2030

GOV.UK – this allows people to order birth, marriage and death certificates and suggests some first steps in researching family history.

Devon and Cornwall Police

Telephone: 101

Missing People works with young runaways and missing and unidentified people.

Telephone: 0500 700 700

Norcap – supporting adults affected by adoption.

Telephone: 01865 875000.

Reunite – specialising in abduction and international custody disputes

Telephone: 0116 2555 345

Salvation Army – tracing adult relatives in the UK and overseas.

Telephone: 020 7367 4747