Missing boy found under bed

[LovelyBath77]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-39490648?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook

How bizarre! that he was;t found under the bed and that the first thing was school phoning to say he hadn't turned up! Would;t you notice if your child hadn't got up and had breakfast?

All the other children are much older and don't even live in the house. The 8 kids bit is a red herring, the 9 year old is the only young child.

splendide I have laughed so much at your "hes an accountant now"

What made you include that?

Ha - not sure!

I think I thought it was amusingly incongruous!

I remember doing this when I was about four, don't think I was even under a bed, just sitting in the bedroom in the dark as a fun trick. My mum was going to be thrilled when she found me and we'd laugh and have a lovely cuddle. I smiled and hugged myself in the dark in anticipation. My resolve wobbled as I heard her screeching 'where's our Shotgun?! Shotgun! SHOTGUUUUNNN!' No hugs were forthcoming when she found me but I did get a good crack across the head.

I went "missing" at school once. I had a roasting from a teacher in the morning over something I didn't do (can't bloody remember what now!) and got detention

Anyway it came to light later that afternoon that I wasn't responsible- and my teacher came to my class to apologise to me and explain I wouldn't have to stay behind for detention.

Except I was actually skiving off my lesson in the park smoking with a girl I knew from another school

Walked back into school at registration to be greeted by my hysterical parents, a very pissed off head of year and a even more pissed off police officer.

Holy shit did I get a bollocking that night

what a filthy hovel - well don't you sound charming boopsy

And you got all of that from two photographs eh?

Actually you can see a red sheet on his mattress Boopsy

I did something similar at age 10. Hid in the understairs cupboard, sitting behind the ton of coats that were hanging in there in the early morning before anyone else was up. Also a family of 8 children.

I could my mother shouting for me. I eventually came out when I heard the police had been called. I did not think that far ahead!

I didn't want to go to school either.

I could hear my mother shouting for me.

His bedroom looks like my 14yr old's bedroom. It is a hovel, no doubt but the rest of my house isn't like that. I don't judge her for having a messy or even moderately dirty house. She's a single mum and she surely did the right thing by calling the police when it was clear he wasn't at school. And whilst I'm up with the larks and see allmy children every morning, it's quite common in certain working class communities that kids are taking to school by older sibs or neighbours or just go by themselves. There's often a much higher level of independence at a younger age. That's not a criticism just a statement of fact. I grew up in such a community and work within such a community now.

taken

My youngest was awful for hiding. I mean awful
The anxiety it creates is unbelievable

The room looks completely normal for a 9 year old. It's not a hovel at all

His mother, Michelle Dinning, a widow and mother of eight, said she had hoped Josh was already at school when she could not find him.

Fuck's sake, he is only nine years old and his mother doesn't bat an eyelid or bother to check on his whereabouts and assumes he's already got himself up and off to school? Poor kid.

I think he's one of the younger ones as well, so having eight kids is no excuse.

It is quite a hovel. Discarded empty bottles and stuff. But it's still quite normal for a 9yr old.
Not that how clean his bedroom is has any relevance. DS1's bedroom is thoroughly disgusting but he's well cared for.

I think washing and empty bottles can be quite normal though
Mind you my boys share and I despair at their room tbqh. I suppose alot of us do.

I'm not going to criticise the mother as I don't know her. But sometimes in larger families it's perfectly normal for older siblings to take charge of younger ones etc depending on circumstances and work patterns. I'm sure she'll be more vigilant in future and the kid will have to find a new hiding place

I once worked somewhere where we had a teenager remanded under a strict curfew.

One day he disappeared during his curfew time so we reported him to the police for breaching it only to find him a bit later fast asleep under his bed!! Obviously we then had to phone the police to cancel the breach .

I mean, who would think to look for a prolific young offender underneath his bed FFS!! He claimed it was quieter under there and no one would disturb him when he was having a nap

The room looks completely normal for a 9 year old. It's not a hovel at all

Maybe your 9 year old, not mine! And I don't have very high standards. That carpet has black marks and rubbish all over it, and the bed is stained. I've seen worse, sure, but that isn't a completely normal childs bedroom.

Hm, this is a non-story isn't it? Yawn

I know two different families this has happened to. You just go into a blind panic when it happens. The police weren't called in either circumstance, but neighbours were searching the neighbourhood. One child was under a bed, and the other had gone onto the loft to dodge school. Amazing the lengths they go to to dodge school!

Presumably she thought he was in school because his uniform was gone. Perhaps he gets up early and goes to breakfast club?

Some really spiteful and judgemental comments on this thread.

Hm, this is a non-story isn't it? Yawn

I think the story should be "thousands of pounds of taxpayers money wasted*.
Why are there photos of the kid grinning away, and no comment from the parent along the lines of "I'm so sorry my kid cost the community so much money, worry and effort".

Do people really let they're 9 year olds get up and get themselves of to school all on they're own?

That still feels such a young age to me,I've got 5DC and our youngest is 9 and I can't imagine not knowing where they are!

But I do agree that the Police and the Mother should have done a much better search of the home,it's not the first time a child has been reported missing and then found hours later at home and even if it's under different Police forces they should share that knowledge with one another in the hope that it doesn't happen again.

The Police are already really struggling with budget cuts,if they'd done a proper such of the home it could have saved alot of wasted money and Police hours plus of course alot less worry for the family involved.