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The Empty House

Reported Missing Series 1

When an 82-year-old man suffering from advancing dementia goes missing, a full-scale land and air search is launched.

When Peter checks on his 82-year-old father at home one morning as normal, he finds the house empty. Suffering from advancing dementia, Archie has vanished - leaving no sign of where he might be.

As Sergeant Barry Evans explains:

"You're trying to work out why has he gone missing: is it a physicality thing, he's slipped, he's fallen, he's hurt himself and we need to find him because he needs our assistance medically... Is it a case of he's taken a walk that's too far, that he's bewildered, he doesn't know what to do? Or alternatively, possibly, that somebody has taken advantage of his vulnerabilities, because he's not quite aware of what's going on."

PC Geoff Moore's job is to get as much information as he can from the son Peter: "Family are hurting and you've got to be mindful of emotions but at the same time I've got a short space of time to gather as much information as I can."

As an ex-paratrooper, Archie has been physically fit all his life and has been struggling to accept his increasing fragility. Dementia sufferers are known to travel vast distances when they disappear, and a full-scale land and air search is launched to find Archie.

But as hours tick by without so much as a single confirmed sighting, and a neighbour comes forward with CCTV of potentially suspicious activity at Archie's home address, the police begin to suspect foul play.

Available now

1 hour

Last on

Wed 3 May 2017 01:20
大象传媒 One Scotland HD & Scotland only

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Just MarriedSeries 1

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:03

    Simple Minds

    Don't You (Forget About Me)

  • 00:29

    Arcade Fire

    Scenes From The Suburbs

Credits

Executive Producer David Hodgkinson
Series Producer Emily Lawson
Director James Incledon
Director Chris Rowe
Editor Michael Harte
Production Manager Deepa Shah
Production Company Blast! Films

Broadcasts