HUYTON, MERSEYSIDE – A major safeguarding investigation is underway after a nine-year-old non-verbal autistic boy escaped from a local sensory support holiday club and was discovered wandering alone on a busy main road.
The Incident on Liverpool Road
The incident occurred around midday on Thursday, when a passing motorist spotted the child, William, walking in and out of active traffic on Liverpool Road in Huyton.
The driver immediately pulled over, called the police, and stayed with the vulnerable boy until officers arrived. Following rapid house-to-house inquiries, Merseyside Police established that William had managed to climb over a fence and run away from a nearby holiday club operated by the Moving Senses group.
Family Left Devastated
William’s mother, Gemma, expressed deep distress, stating she was left “sick to the stomach” with worry. She felt the facility initially played down the severity of the escape when they called to inform her.
“Trusting someone with one of the most precious things you have is really hard, especially when your child’s vulnerable and has no voice,” Gemma said. “These groups are so important to children with complex needs, but they need to be 100% safe.”
Moving Senses, an organization providing respite care for children with special needs and disabilities, stated that they had never previously lost a child from their site.
Official Safeguarding Review
Knowsley Council has officially referred the matter to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), who handles critical safeguarding concerns. A multi-agency investigation will now oversee the center’s security protocols and determine how the child went unnoticed.
Merseyside Police confirmed that all ongoing work regarding the safeguarding lapse will be led directly by the local authority.
