This is what every parent should do in the first minutes after a child goes missing

Losing your child, even for a split second, is every parent's worst nightmare.
What you must do if your child gets lostWhat you must do if your child gets lost
What you must do if your child gets lost

It's something you hope will never happen but most parents will have had at least one moment where they lose sight of their child.

And with the school holidays starting, chances are you'll be spending a lot more time with your kids.

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You may be taking them on a shopping trip to Meadowhall or enjoying a day out around Sheffield or somewhere unfamiliar.

But what should you do if the worst should happen?

Former police officer Mark Williams-Thomas appeared on ITV's This Morning to give out some expert advice.

He told parents what the best thing to do immediately after your child goes missing.

He said: "Well, the crucial thing and this is the same throughout, stay where you are. Child disappears, the likelihood is they'll come back to where they last saw you."

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The video has been viewed more than 300k times and shared over 1,000 times as Mr Williams-Thomas explains the best thing parents can do.

"If they've got a mobile phone try ringing them, try and communicate with them, tell people around you that your child has gone missing," he added.

"In five minutes, so that period of time for the first five minutes, again stay where you are. Also, you now need to contact the police, you need to contact the authorities.

"Tell people what your child is wearing. When your child goes out in the, write your telephone number on their wrist.

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"Just put a telephone number, and you'll make that phone call 'I've got this child here, is it your child?' If your child has a tendency to run off, take a photograph of what your child is wearing on that morning.

"Sometimes we forget what our children wear. And also, if they've got mobile phones, have a point of contact with mobile phones, what we call it is In Case of Emergencies, ICE.

"So your mum's number, you nan's number, your dad's number, it's a point of contact"