Chance meeting in a Barcelona bar

Two Birmingham police officers have been praised after reuniting a missing man from Leeds with his family during their own holiday in Spain.

PC Lamb and PC Somers, of West Midlands Police, were in Barcelona last month when they got chatting to a man known as "Little Mick" in a bar. At the time, they did not realise that the man, identified as Michael Hewitt, had been reported missing by his family in Leeds, with an international search already under way.

It was only after seeing social media posts about the search that the officers realised who they had been talking to, according to reports from Birmingham Live, the Evening Chronicle, and the Daily Mirror. They quickly informed local authorities and liaised with police in Barcelona, sharing the information they had in the hope of putting Mick back in touch with his family.

Unaware of the search

It later emerged that Mr Hewitt was completely unaware of the large-scale search for him. He had lost his phone and therefore had not seen any of the online coverage about his own disappearance.

The 65-year-old, described as a retired trade union official and a Leeds United fan, had been travelling to Boston via Barcelona to watch England play Ghana in the World Cup. After losing his phone, he stayed in Barcelona because he was unable to access his tickets for the flight to the United States, as reported by the Daily Mirror.

The search for Mr Hewitt lasted 10 days, according to the same report.

Family reaction

In a statement released after the reunion, Mr Hewitt's brother Gary said: "Little Mick is safe and well in Barcelona, blissfully unaware that the whole world was searching for him. As a family, we desperately wanted an embarrassingly simple but happy ending to this horrendous episode and we now have that."

The officers have since been commended for their actions, with their efforts highlighted in national news coverage.

Police praise

Birmingham Police Chief Inspector Sean Corrigan praised the officers, saying: "The officers' actions demonstrate our values as a police force, as even on holiday they acted quickly to help a potentially vulnerable man in need. By quickly recognising who they'd been speaking to, and immediately informing Spanish authorities, they helped end an international search. While the man involved may have just been enjoying a holiday himself, we commend our officers for interrupting theirs and going above and beyond."