Daniel Keith [©dayranmedia]

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TRIBUTES have been paid to a man from Islington who has died after a weeks-long missing persons search in which his family say they were “failed” by police.

Daniel Keith, 39, had no contact with friends or family between December 6, when he went missing from his home in Barnsbury, and ­Wednesday January 15, when he was found dead in a Hackney park.

Daniel’s sister Charlotte Keith, who lived with him, said: “He is so lovely, he just cares for everyone. He’s so loved. He had a good heart, he was the life and soul of the party, he had a good work ethic. He was loved, so loved.”

Ms Keith told the Tribune that police avoided her calls and downgraded Daniel’s case from high risk to medium risk in mid-­December when he was seen on CCTV footage buying food.

“The police really failed us,” she said. “They would not put him as high risk. I told them he wasn’t well, that he was a vulnerable person. He’s never done this before, never absconded or gone off like that.

“They didn’t believe me, they didn’t take me seriously.”

She said they blocked her number because she was emotional on the phone. “I have mental health [issues] so sometimes I can come across as abrupt,” she said. “But it’s because I can’t regulate my emotions. I identify this every time I call, so they are aware.

“Who blocks an emotional family member for asking, ‘can you tell me if my brother is dead or alive?’ You should have empathy and understanding.”

Daniel, a scaffolder, had a close-knit circle of friends who he had known from childhood and was part of a gaming community, which was something he loved.

His friends have also paid tribute to a “once in a lifetime character”.

“Daniel had the best sense of humour,” said Sarah Noonan, 40, who met him when she was 14 years old.

“He was very resilient and took life in his stride. He loved music and dancing. He was my biggest supporter.

“I cannot believe he has gone and I don’t think I will ever get over it. He was such a once in a lifetime character. No one will ever come close to filling the void we all feel.

“What’s more upsetting is the circumstances of his passing. We were frantically trying to locate him as it was out of character of him going missing and not making contact with any of us.

“I will never forget his laugh and his kind face and his massive ginger beard.

“I wish I could have had five minutes to sit with him and talk to him.”

Daniel was sighted several times during the weeks he was missing, including by friends in Camden Lock, at a pub in Tottenham Hale and at a pizza venue in Stoke Newington, but family, friends and police were unable to catch up with him.

Daniel grew up in Mildmay with two older sisters and was a pupil at Central Foundation Boys’ School.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Investigating missing person reports is a complex and challenging part of policing and we recognise the worry involved for family members. The Met receives on average over 40,000 missing person reports each year. Each missing person report is regularly reviewed and graded according to a number of factors including the circumstances of how a person went missing, their age, and any known welfare issues. The grading of a missing person can change as the investigation continues.

“We aim to ensure family members are kept up to date with any significant developments and understand how difficult a time it is for them. Any feedback from family members will be listened to and factored into how we can improve our investigations, and the experiences members of public have when reporting their loved ones missing to police.

“Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 05:03 hours on Wednesday, 15 January to reports of an unresponsive man in Church Street.

“Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended.

“Sadly the man, aged in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

“While formal identification has not been completed, officers believe the deceased is Daniel Keith who was reported missing on 6 December 2024.

“His death is being treated as unexpected, but not suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Daniel’s family cover funeral costs.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-give-dan-kieth-aka-ginge-the-send-off-he-deserves