The wee boy James Malone who is missing

[Horehound]

Not sure of this is allowed or not?

But James is 4 years old and was with his father on Sunday at what sounds like a contact meeting and then James and his father haven't been seen since.

Northumbria police released a statement after 1 day of James being missing saying they were not concerned about James being harmed or anything and now days later they are releasing CCTV footage of the two and asking for help

I just feel the police have wasted so much time by not taking it seriously.
I have such a bad feeling about this.
:( I hope James is found safe and well. His mum must be going through hell.

I think this is such a strange and concerning story. The original reason given for not sharing a photo of the father is that he was a vulnerable man and didn't want to spook him I think.

I’m local, there are photos on Facebook. But I’m wondering why the police seem to be keeping things very low key.

See I don't think it's strange. It sounds like the parents are hostile to each other and he has taken James as a "f#ck you" to the mum.
But I really hope he hasn't done anything to James or himself. It's just not worth it.

The police aren’t as good as safeguarding as they need to be.

@gilead I dunno, now ot's reported on BBC news and the police released the footage and statement. I think it'll get worse mentally for Ian as the days go on because surely he will be thinking the longer it goes on the worse trouble he will be in?

See I don't think it's strange. It sounds like the parents are hostile to each other and he has taken James as a "f#ck you" to the mum.

It's all over Facebook that the dad has mental health problems. It's not a fuck you. Nobody in the right frame of mind would go into hiding sparking a police alert just to give the mother of the child a 'fuck you'

Oh @toastantea I can't see anything like that on there but I also don't get many results. I'm more on Twitter and I haven't seen anything like that but it is a thing that a child is used as a pawn between two fighting parents, unfortunately. And if he has been harmed, it won't be the first case like it. :(

You seem to know al the ins and outs of the case OP. Why don’t you go to the police and tell them all about it

@Horehound

Oh *@toastantea* I can't see anything like that on there but I also don't get many results. I'm more on Twitter and I haven't seen anything like that but it is a thing that a child is used as a pawn between two fighting parents, unfortunately. And if he has been harmed, it won't be the first case like it. :(

The original post about James being missing was made by his mum and shared many many times before the police were involved. A lot of people had said that dad is not in the right frame of mind.

Oh dear. I hope they are both ok and are found soon.

The police aren’t as good as safeguarding as they need to be.

How is this the fault of the police??

The police didn't take the mother's concerns seriously.

I'm local as well.

Is it definitely a Mum v Dad issue and not a “child at risk or in care” situation?

Sometimes the cases involving child protection proceedings read oddly when someone has gone on the run with their child, but there are aspects that the authorities do not want in the public domain.

This is relatively local to me and the Police reacted slowly at the beginning as they dont usually get involved with non resident parents not handing children back on time. It doesn't sound like a planned action on the part of the Dad which would at least mean little James would be safe. I really hope for a good outcome.

The little boy has SN.

fb.watch/6FbYfJ_RR8/

This has been added today not sure if the link will work but I've copied it anyway

They've both been found now, safe and well

Thank goodness. Fantastic news

Oh my goodness that wasn't the outcome I was expecting, I am so happy that they are both OK. I hope they - the whole family - get all the help and support that they need.