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Brian Hossack • Published 20 Jul 2010 14:00
A MUM told how she feared for her young son's safety after he disappeared from outside their Greenock home.
Joseph Luke, five, pictured, vanished while making his way from his flat in Craigieknowes Street to his aunt's home in nearby Cartsdyke Court at 3pm on Sunday.
Mum Amanda, 22, had to endure an agonising four-hour wait before the youngster was found safe and well by police.
She told the Tele how she feared the worst as family members joined a police helicopter and search team to comb the town's streets for her son.
She said: "You hear so many bad things on the news and in the papers that your mind just starts racing. You start to think something bad could have happened."
Amanda told how Joseph went missing after going to visit his cousin.
She said: "His grandad took him up and dropped him off at his aunt's, but, 10 minutes later, his cousin came to our door asking for Joseph to come out and play. I said he had gone up to his but he hadn't turned up.
"Right away we were all worried because Joe is not a wee boy who just wanders off. He always plays close to the house and we always know where he is.
"All the wee boys he plays with were still outside but there was no sign of him. The whole family was out looking for him in cars and on foot but we couldn't find him anywhere."
A two-hour search failed to find the five-year-old, forcing Amanda to contact police.
She added: "By that point I was crying and really quite upset. Thankfully he turned up safe and well.
"It was such a relief when I heard he had been found safe. It turned out he had gone off with an older boy who he knows, up to Sinclair Street to play. He had no idea the panic he had caused but he got a fright when the police put him into the back of their car to bring him home."
A police spokesman confirmed a number of officers had been involved in the hunt for Joseph.
He said: "A police helicopter was scrambled at 6.11pm and four officers were involved in the search. The boy was later found an hour later playing outside Cartsdyke Court where it is understood a relative lives.
"Thankfully, he turned up to the satisfaction of his parents and the police."
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 20 Jul 10
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