Reported Missing was a sombre, distressing affair. Charity worker and former soldier Mark Smith, who had served in Northern Ireland and suffered from PTSD, disappeared from Warrington in November. It was a particularly concerning case for Cheshire Police, since Smith had had suicidal thoughts, posting on Facebook that he wanted to “end it all”.

He was also considered a potential threat to public and police because of his military training. At one stage, the police believed Smith might be with a woman, who lived in the area and who had previously been found in possession of weapons, including “crossbows, swords, daggers and blades”. There was also a theory that Smith might have fled the country, with Spain or the Far East thought the most likely destinations.

The reality was more prosaic. After taking a train north from Warrington, the 56-year-old was eventually found in Aviemore, Scotland, on his way to find his cousin, George Gaff, who ran a retreat for veterans.

The search for Smith was not actually all that interesting, despite the crass digital clock (“Missing: hrs 36:15:59”), haunting music and almost comically dramatic commentary from the police (“Where are you going, Mark? And what are you planning to do when you get there?”). We were told at the beginning of the programme that “every two minutes, someone in Britain is reported missing” and the procedures employed by Cheshire Police – tracking the missing person’s phone; watching CCTV; asking local pubs and hotels for information – seemed routine. Which is exactly as it should be: police work is often methodical and, dare I say it, rather dull. It is not supposed to make for good television.

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In fact, the most troubling moments came when Smith was interviewed long after returning home. He explained that when struggling, he “can’t see life, all I can see is the past”. Smith’s wife Denise recalled the first time she had witnessed him have a flashback from his time in Northern Ireland. “He was trying to hide, he was crying, he was sweating profusely,” she explained. “It was something from a film.”

A documentary exploring PTSD, what triggers flashbacks and how we can support sufferers would have been far more worthwhile and illuminating than this salacious reframing of tragedy as entertainment.