11 year old goes missing and turns up on a plane to Rome

[MrsSB]

Has anyone else read this story? It is very confusing! Firstly he has learning difficulties and has apparently ran off before, is very trusting and is vulnerable to being abducted as he trusts anyone who is nice to him. I know kids are a handful some times and you have to watch them like a hawk but if the above was the case no matter what age you wouldn't let them wander off. Now secondly the story differs in each paper, some quote his dad on saying that he got into problems while swimming and slipped off from his mum at the swimming pool and walked 30 mins to airport; whereas the ones were it quotes the mum says he went missing at a asda store and boarded a bus to the airport. Now the part I can't fathom is that he says he was looking for a toilet! Every Asda has one and he would have past signs for loads: at asda, in the super market, at departures, In the lounge, duty free etc but no he decides to board a plane and go to the toilet there. The security staff/boarding gate staff dont even ensure the number of travel documents corresponds with the number of people, very big over sight especially days away from the Olympics. They don't do a head count; well even if they did he would not been included as he was in the toilet until they had already take off, they would need to check the occupation of toilets. So whose fault is it? I believe all the people above deserve to share some responsibility as if the mum had of kept an eye on him he wouldnt wonder off, if they had of check the documents properly he would never have gotten on the flight, and I'd they had of check the plane and made sure no one was in the toilet and did a head count then it would have been sorted immediately! The people who need to be praises are the holiday makers who realised something was wrong and alerted the crew as he could have gotten off and could have managed to sneak out of the airport into Rome. Very scary really that he got as far as he did. Some people also blame the bus driver but let's be honest he looks old for his age and from 11 a big majority of children need to get the bus to school by themselves unattended by an adult so this would have not been out of the normal for a bus driver to see. What do you think?

 

[SurferMommy]

Yes, i've read different accounts of it, i'm very confused! How the hell did he manage it?!?!?

 

[MrsSB]

I know, everything is different on each story. Why did he decide that he need the toilet and decided to jump on a bus and then follow people until they go on a plane. His dad said he had no interest in planes they had only been on a tram in Blackpool, whereas his mum says he was fascinated by them and loved watching them flying over their house and always wanted to go on one.

 

[suzib76]

I'm am absolutely disgusted that in this day and age, experience appears to have taught nothing when it comes to airline/airport security

 

[maryp0ppins]

I've traveled a few times between London and Edinburgh or Glasgow by flying and nevet once been asked for id! I know its not an international flight but I think its shocking!

I once checked in online fot a flight from Montreal canada to London,printed my boarding pass and then put my bags thru the bag drop without bring asked for passport.....anyone could have just picked up my boarding pass had I dropped it and checked in a bag! I was also not asked an secuirty questions.

I'm glad that the staff invloved in the recent news story have been sacked or punished,it should have NEVER happened.

 

[Jade--x]

I hadn't seen this until now and just looked at the news story and I'm baffled at how he's managed to do it :S I've only read the one story so I haven't seen the inconsistencies but if there is - If that was a true account of what happened how could there be any?!x

 

[MrsSB]

The differences in the story are where he went he missing. The sun had an exclusive with his mum and she said it was from the asda and the dad said it was from the swimming pool. Now the parents have split up and the mum lives in Manchester and the dad lives in Blackpool. The mother said she reported him missing to the police but she said to the reporter that they contacted the dad to say they found him on board the plane but if she was the one who reported him missing why didn't they call his mum as she must have had custody of him. Especially as the dad wasnt there; you think they would have had police liaison with the mum constantly in the first 4 hours just to insure they got enough information as possible to launch an immediate appeal!