An emotional incident unfolded when a four-year-old boy was discovered crying after being inadvertently abandoned during a nursery excursion while he was using a public restroom.
Concerned mother Clare Hodge received word that her son, Carson, had been left unattended for a period of 40 minutes at the Scottish Deer Centre in Fife, Scotland.
The child had accompanied Dunmore Nursery on a trip to the park, only to find the bus transporting his class had departed without him while he was in the lavatory.
Upon exiting the restroom, he found himself alone as his three teachers and nine classmates were nowhere to be seen.
Carson was eventually discovered in distress by a park visitor, as recounted by Clare on Facebook. He was then taken care of by a park employee who contacted the nursery.
Parents of the other nine children were initially informed that the bus had been delayed around 12:30 pm, but were later notified that the delay was due to a missing student.
Clare shared, ‘During their end-of-year visit to the Scottish Deer Centre, all the children were instructed to use the restroom before boarding the bus home.”
‘Carson was the last to finish and, upon coming out, he failed to find anyone and presumed they were playing a prank on him.’
‘He was abandoned because they had left without him,’ she added.
Carson informed his mother that ‘a gentleman’ discovered him in tears and escorted him to the park’s office.
‘The multitude of scenarios that ran through my mind all weekend is unimaginable,’ Clare lamented.
The nursery notified Clare that the teachers neglected to perform a headcount before departing.
‘Instead, they asked the little ones on the bus if everyone was present, to which they all responded affirmatively, prompting their departure,’ she explained.
The local council overseeing the nursery has reported the grave incident to the care service watchdog and an investigation is now underway.
Shelagh McLean, Head of Service, informed STV News, ‘Immediate action was taken as soon as the child was noted as missing.
‘The school immediately contacted the child’s parents, and the Care Inspectorate was promptly notified as well.
‘We have stringent policies and procedures in place for schools and nurseries concerning educational outings.
‘As part of the investigation, we will review these policies and procedures to identify areas for enhancement.
‘Given that there are individuals involved who will be easily recognizable within the local community, we are unable to provide further details or comment on any specific actions until all facts are clear and official proceedings have concluded, including those undertaken by the Care Inspectorate.
Contact our news team via email at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For additional stories, visit our news page.
MORE : London weather: Heatwave to continue across capital and UK, Met Office says
MORE : Selfish tourists are to blame for death of ‘legendary’ stag
MORE : Scotland crash out of Euro 2024 after late Hungary winner
Get your need-to-know latest news, heartwarming stories, analysis, and more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.