A FORMER Haverfordwest resident has been awarded an MBE for her pioneering work used to help search for missing and vulnerable people.

Dr Naomi Eales, is the daughter of Roger and Ruth Anderson of Goat Street, Haverfordwest. Mr Anderson was director of planning with the former Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council and his daughter was educated in Taskers School for Girls before moving to Sir Thomas

Picton to complete A levels.

Dr Eales received her award in recognition of her work for the National Crime Agency where she has worked since 2008. In her role as Officer, she created a new operational tool, called iFind, to enhance the search planning

for vulnerable missing people.

Between 2010 and 2016 she painstakingly collected and analysed data from police forces in order to identify behavioural patterns which can be used to focus the search for missing people and bolster the understanding of how vulnerable a missing person might

be. This evidence-based tool enhances the way in which police and other skilled search volunteers plan and execute searches.

The college of policing evaluated iFind and found it to be better than previously available tools. The college police national search centre have utilised it in their training and it has been adapted for use in Ireland and through international channels such as the global missing children’s network.

Naomi carried out the work while completing her doctorate in Criminal Justice.

Naomi said: "I feel so privileged to be given this award and to have the work I carried out for the missing persons unit honoured in this way. It was a huge undertaking and I feel enormously proud to have produced a tool which is used across the whole of the UK in both law enforcement and national search services.”

Director General Lynne Owens said: "iFind is an incredible tool which supports Police Forces here and internationally and other third sector parties in the search for missing people. It is devastating for families when a loved one goes missing and this tool helps set early search parameters giving the best possibility of prompt success.”