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Boy prompts SOS call-out

Danielle Robinson
10/10/2007

An eight-year-old boy who went on a three-hour walkabout sparked a search by emergency services who thought he had fallen down a sewer.

Thomas Henstock went missing after playing outside his home in Hyde.

Mum Suzette Player had asked Thomas to come in at 6pm on Wednesday as it was raining.

The 32 year old said: "The next thing I know, he had done a runner."

Then a neighbour spotted the Flowery Fields pupil near an open manhole, prompting a search of the sewers by firefighters using special equipment.

Oblivious to the drama, Thomas – who has a brother, Nathan, 13 and sister, Natasha, 11 – went on a walking tour of Tameside.

His wanderings took him from Hyde to Dukinfield and on to Ashton.

It was only at 9.30pm after hitching a lift with two women that he was taken to the nearest police sation and reunited with his parents.

Suzette, of Busheyfield Close, Newton, said: "He said that he wanted to go on an adventure."

Dad Paul Henstock added: "He lost his bearings and tried to hitch a lift, but luckily these two lovely ladies pulled up and took him to Ashton police station.

"We just want to thank them, anything could have happened to him.

"One was called Susan Wright, but the other one did not want to be named."

Suzette said: "I dread to think what could have happened to him, he could have been kidnapped or hit by a car.

"All sorts of thoughts were going through my mind.

"He is a proper little boy and he is only allowed out here as I don’t trust him to go off the close, unless he’s with his older brother or sister.

"I didn’t shout at him but we have had words since."