Child safety story, all dept should have lock down policies when children go missing

[trippleshot]

Right putting my head above the parapet relaying this story, but I believe it to be true so think it is important to make as many mums as possible aware of this.

A couple of weeks ago a girl of about four who was shopping with her mother in John Lewis on Oxford street went missing. It really was a case of her mum have her back turned at the till for a matter of seconds, and the child disappeared. Security was notified and "locked-down" the store immmediately. After two hours the girl was found in the toilets, her hair had been cut and clothes changed. I think the intend is clear here, and it's terrifying how easy and quickly child's appearance can be changed just enough that it is not immediately recognisable to those who only have a brief description.

I have never heard of anything like this before, and do not wish to be alarmist but honestly it would never have occured to me that the child's appearance would be changed so quickly. Perhaps I am naive. Anyway the happy conclusion of the story is no doubt thanks to the store's quick acting security and its lock down policy. I don't know of other dept stores/supermarkets with similar policies, but it would be good to know which do.

Heard this story before - I don't think it's true.

Oops - read whole thread GDG

I for one think that it is a great policy.

My missing ds(2) at the time went awal on a cruise ship and we lost him on the pool deck with access overboard!

After much running up and down and shouting his name, I ran down two flights to the reception to put a call out describing ds and to bring him to reception for collection by his parents.

She said she had to get permission from the Captain and would locate him!

I paced and paced, imagining allsorts and watched her calmly dealing with other passengers regarding trivial queries. I left reception in a panic to continue the search and heard a tannoy announcement asking for my ds (2) to come to reception!!!!!! Like he would find his own way back.

I ran down to reception to go ballistic at this point when I met a lady with him in her arms.

Bless her, she had seen me running around like a loony and got her family to join in the search (thank God). She found him sitting in the Gym on a piece of machinery.

I didnt even look in there as the doors were so heavy and he would never of got himself in there alone.

Never out of my sight now.

On CSI so it must be true

What I can't get my head round with these myths is that they are always 'a friend of a friend'. Trippleshot - did the person who told you the story actually pretend that she knew the person it happened to? Why do people do this?

Tenalady, that must have been terrifying!

I've been in a Boots when it went into a lockdown. However that was due to a man with a knife rampaging outside.

Well there is another reason to boycott M&S- their employees obviously dont care about lost children