Toddler sparks full-scale search by wandering off

A three-year-old sparked a full-scale police search today when he wandered off from his mother in a busy market and hopped on a bus.

A three-year-old sparked a full-scale police search in England today when he wandered off from his mother in a busy market and hopped on a bus.

Lee Loram became separated from her in the town centre of Blackburn and somehow managed to board a service from the town to Bolton.

The toddler stayed on the Lancashire United route 225 service – an hour’s journey each way – as it winded its way through Darwen, Egerton and Astley Bridge to its final destination.

He remained on the bus at Bolton for the return journey and got off at Blackburn bus station where he was quickly spotted by police officers who returned him to his family safe and well.

Lancashire Police issued a missing alert as Lee vanished while out with his mother and brother in the Market Hall at about 12.40pm.

The force helicopter was scrambled, mounted police and extra foot patrols were drafted in and officers scoured CCTV images for several hours with no sign of the boy.

Fears that Lee had been abducted were allayed when he got off the bus at around 4.15pm.

A police spokesman said: “It appears that he got on a bus at Blackburn town centre.

He stayed on the bus for the duration of the journey from Blackburn to Bolton.

“He then came back to Blackburn and as he got off the bus he was immediately spotted by police officers and was then reunited with his family and is safe and well.”

The spokesman added the family did not wish to comment about the matter.

An employee at the Blackburn-based Lancashire United depot gave a terse “no comment” when asked how it was possible the youngster got on the bus without the driver noticing he was alone.

The firm’s parent company, Transdev, was unavailable for comment.