A POLICE call dispatcher has explained to an inquest why he closed a log before a missing man returned home.

Frederick Kirk, a dispatcher of 26 years, admitted there had been a "miscommunication" at West Yorkshire Police's Leeds District Control Room in the hours before Colin Harding, of Gwynne Avenue, Thornbury, was found hanged in woodland on August 2, 2015.

The inquest at Bradford Crown Court heard Mr Kirk was one of the staff members who handled the call log on July 31 after Mr Harding, 39, had been reported missing by his family.

The hearing heard responsibility for the log was transferred between control rooms in Bradford and Leeds 32 times.

Mr Kirk worked from 5pm to 3am on both Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2015.

When he returned to his desk at 5pm on August 1, he was informed Mr Harding had been located by two Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers on the M62 and was on his way home.

However, he admitted he did not realise, or check, that Mr Harding had been found at lunchtime and had still not been seen, despite telling officers he had been to Blackpool to clear his head and was on his way home.

A procedure had already been put in place to close the log and to take Mr Harding's details from the Police National Computer when Mr Harding's wife phoned police again to say he was still missing.

Mr Kirk said he had a brief conversation with his supervisor, Insp Brady, before deciding to close the log.

"I shouted across something like 'they are reporting Colin Harding as concern for him again' and he replied that there's no concern for him because they have just found him.

"I was under the impression we were taking no further action.

"What I should have done was say to the Inspector 'I will keep the log open open until you type something on it."