People who have lost a pet, or had a car stolen – or even whose relative goes missing – may find the police unwilling or unable to help.

A new website in Hungary, CKR, is proving popular by stepping in to fill the gap – publicising property that has been both lost and found.

CKR stands for “Civil Körözési Rendszer”, or “Circular civil system”. Since its launch in December 2014, it has had several success stories.

“We’ve made it possible for people to register on the site if they might be in a position to find certain things – for example animal shelters, pawnshops, junkyards – or any other place where lost and stolen items might appear,” says CKR’s founder Ákos Pándi.

The site does not only deal in property.

Mónika Kardos used it successfully to find her 19-year-old daughter who had disappeared.

Without telling her mother, Henrietta had gone to Austria with friends. CKR posted photos and information about Mónika’s search on the website, and news of her appeal began to spre