A MISSING person behaviour expert who works with Police Scotland has said academic research has helped boost the force's investigations - and save lives.

Forensic psychologist Dr Penny Woolnough has collated 15 years worth of academic research on missing people which has been used by officers investigating the disappearance of people across Glasgow and beyond.

Dr Woolnough's research has also been incorporated in a booklet called Missing persons: understanding, planning and responding, which is used by officers as guidance for their investigation.

And in some cases, that guidance has helped save lives by allowing officers to find the person quicker than they would have without it.

Dr Woolnough said: "I have had an officer in one specific case relating to dementia say to me that had he not followed our guidance, he think's they would have found the person dead.

"But because the police officer followed the guidance, he was able to respond quicker and in a more focused manner, and they found the person alive."

She added: "I have worked for the police for 14 years and I am very passionate about helping them. I admire what they do tremendously. "From my point of view, my skills are research and their skills are operational. If we come together I think we can collectively do a better job. That’s really what it is about for me."

Yesterday, The Evening Times reported that Police Scotland's Greater Glasgow Division launched 2,979 investigations into the whereabouts of missing people in the city from April 1, 2016 to April 20 this year.

Dr Woolnough is often called in by officers as an expert around the three to four week mark of a disappearance. Her research can often help officers narrow down the possibilities of where a person might be.

She said: "I get a briefing from the senior investigating officer and the work we have been involved with has often helped the police rule out lines of enquiry which are not relevant.

"It is usually a case where they feel they are drawing a blank and they don’t have any particular leads that are telling them anything. They will come to me and say can you look at this case."

Dr Woolnough, who is based at the Abertay University, will join hundreds of experts at a conference exploring issues around why people go missing which will take place later this month

The International Conference on Missing Children and Adults will come to Scotland for the first time from June 14 to 16, having previously been held in Brussels and Portsmouth.

More than 150 delegates are expected at Abertay for the event, which is organised in partnership with the Scottish Institute for Policing Research, Police Scotland and the Centre for the Study of Missing Persons at the University of Portsmouth.