Off duty police officer, town centre staff and sainsburys workers

Zeldazog

Masked_Marauder wrote:

I one found a little girl wandering lost, crying for her mum, in a local shopping centre. So I took her hand and told her we would go find someone to help her find her mum. There was a female security guard about 10 yards away and I had no sooner got to her and started to explain the situation when I was physically attacked by the little girl's dad. He waded in with his fist whilst screaming that I was a peado.

.

Its no wonder that so many people won't help, they probably fear an attack.

When I found a little girl wandering on her own a couple of years ago in my local town centre, I got my son to stay with us (so she would feel safe), we stayed where we found her and my Mum went a wander on the street to look for her parents.

I phoned the local police station meanwhile. I was amazed at one point when we bumped into the child's neighbour who told me her name and then went off to catch the bus!! Didn't offer to stay with the child, or look for the parents (and her bus runs every ten minutes so no excuses there).

Parents were eventually found, although after thanking us they simply said it happens all the time - I couldn't help but think that "if you know your child is like that, keep a closer eye her then!"

Zeldazog

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Youngest was VERY envious that he'd had a ride in a police car, but I told him not to even think about, because his brother had been too upset to enjoy it!

So the advice I gave my sons, as taken from a leaflet we were given at nursery:

If you lose your mummy,

1. Stay where you are: don't keep wandering further and further away. I will come and find you.

2. If you're worried or upset, the people you can talk to are a police man (or woman) in their uniform, someone working in a shop, or another mummy (or daddy) with children.

If we were out for the day with a group of other kids, I would run through this for them as well. AND make a note of what they were wearing! How embarrassing to be asked to describe a missing child and not really have a clue! At Legoland and places like that I would point out what the staff were wearing and encourage them to go to one of them if lost.

All top advice, I always do the same, pointing out who is safe to go to.

I also arm my son with my mobile number when we go for days out or to really busy places - when we went to London for a day trip it was written on his arm and in his pocket!