Girl, aged two, escapes from nursery school and walks home alone

Louise Hilton, who made her own way home from nursery

A furious dad demanded answers after his two year-old daughter walked home alone after escaping from school.

John Hilton, 30, said daughter Louise, two, made her successful bid for freedom from nursery in Windmill Hill Primary School, in Runcorn, on Wednesday.



The tot, into her third day at the Windmill Hill school, was able to leave the premises and walk unaided to her home in Lockgate East around half a mile away.

It is believed her route included passing a pub, going through two underground subways, walking through woodland and past a canal.

At just before 2pm she eventually turned up unharmed at the door of gobsmacked mum Samantha, 30, who had walked her to school just hours earlier.

She told her stunned mum: “I have walked home on my own, aren’t I a big girl.”

Asked for an explanation an unnamed official at the school said “I have no comment to make”  before ending the call.

But today Cheshire Police said they were aware of the incident and said early investigations suggested “the child escaped after workmen left a door open”.

The police have referred the matter to Halton Council.

The authority said Ofsted had been notified and any investigation would rest with them.

The Halton council spokesman added: “Windmill Hill Nursery is a private and voluntary setting which is registered with Ofsted. Halton Borough Council has been providing advice and support to the nursery following notification of the incident.”

The girl’s angry dad John said his daughter would never return to the school which he said had refused to offer an explanation.

He said: “My girlfriend  had walked her to school at 10am and a few hours later she knocked on the door and said ‘I have walked home on my own, aren’t I a big girl'?”

“She had gone to the toilet with no supervision and walked out of a fire exit which failed to sound an alarm.
“She has then managed to walk out of the electric gates, I can only assume they were open.”

John added: “It is frightening to think what might of happened had the wrong person seen her. There is a canal 50 yards from the house and she always tries to jump in and feed the ducks when we go past but she cannot swim.

“The school has not given me an apology and I have contacted the appropriate authorities as I just want every child who goes to that school to be safe.”