Oh absolutely, I wasn't making a judgement on Paul Ansell. If NB was my friend, I'd also be doing informal search parties - with permission of LE - everywhere and anywhere local, every ditch, wood etc
I'd need my head examining if I rocked up to Lancs P HQ with just a OS map of the area pointing out known features to a specialist team including some of the most experienced regional searchers in the area, 19 days on.
Now if there was criminal evidence and for instance, and I had a map, for example, of secret medieval tunnels under, say St Michaels Church & connected to the ' disappearance' fields , which was from an obscure manuscript or little known - uncharted, un-mapped water channels , I'd say it was worth doing
( PS with Millie D being found 25 miles away in a different county from where she was abducted, altho that's a whole different story. unless I had a lead to criminal involvement, if I was SIO I doubt I'd be able to justify a decision to ' jump' resources c25 miles to start a search )