Boys go missing from Walsall school through foxhole in fence
Two boys aged seven went missing from a Walsall school after crawling through a foxhole in a fence, it was revealed today.
The year 3 pupils from Bentley West Primary sparked the alert left the playing fields during their lunchbreak yesterday after finding the gap, which was said to have recently formed.
The school today said the children were found 'safe and well' at a relative's house nearby.
Police were called when the boys failed to return to class at 1pm.
Daniel Tolley, father of one of the boys, told the BBC: "I was panicking. I didn't know if he'd come back safe."
He said he was contacted by the school at 1.30pm to be told, and had feared his son had been abducted.
"You hear so many times of children getting abducted," he told the BBC.
Headteacher Rod Dickson said: "I have spoken to the Year 3 pupils in person at the school today to establish the series of events and have emphasised the importance of school rules and why their actions were so serious.
"Bentley West Primary takes the safeguarding of all its children extremely seriously.
"The children's absence was noted within ten minutes of their departure at yesterday's afternoon register.
"We immediately employed our policy for lost children and a thorough search of the playgrounds, building entries and exits was carried out by staff members. If a child is not accounted for after 15 minutes, the police are informed.
"The police have now spoken to the children about their actions and I am expecting to meet with their parents to discuss with them the serious nature of their children's actions and what statutory safeguarding steps we took to manage the incident."
