Runaway tot sparks school security alert (From Surrey Comet)

Runaway tot sparks school security alert

A toddler sparked a security alert when he broke out of nursery school on his first day.

Samantha Aldridge waved goodbye to her three-year-old son Alfie at 12.30pm, when she dropped him off at Knollmead Primary School in Surbiton on Monday, September 12.

But answering a knock at the door an hour-and-a-half later Mrs Aldridge, 27, was shocked to see him standing at their doorstep, which is about 300m from the nursery.

The mum-of-four said he must have climbed over a wall, passed six classrooms and the headteacher’s office and pushed a button for an electric gate before crossing the road and walking home.

Head teacher Eileen Bone apologised, However, Mrs Aldridge said: “I was hysterical, anything could have happened.

“He has proved he is clever. I have only done that walk with him twice.”

Apprehensive about Alfie’s first day, Mrs Aldridge said she was impressed when the school called her 40 minutes earlier to say he was getting on well, however, she said they have now lost her trust.   She said: “I called and asked them to explain it. I couldn’t talk at one point I was so overwhelmed.”

Kingston Council said it was the first time anything like this had happened at the school and would carry out a full investigation.

Following a site visit on September 13, the council plans to raise the nursery fence.

Headteacher Mrs Bone said: “The school would like to apologise for the incident and assure parents measures we have taken will ensure their children can enjoy their education in the safe and protective environment that they rightly expect.”

Mrs Aldridge is planning to send Alfie to Lovelace Primary School in Chessington, but said she would be inspecting the school beforehand to make sure he could not break out again.