A TODDLER was locked inside a metal container at a council-run nursery for two hours.
Staff only realised two-year-old Ben Sangi was missing when his mum turned up to collect him and he wasn't anywhere to be seen.
A massive search was launched and police were called to the Daisy Bank Centre in Ardwick amid fears Ben had been kidnapped.
But as officers were on their way the tearful toddler was found locked inside a dark 20ft by 8ft metal box which is used to store toys in the grounds of the nursery.
A council investigation has been ordered into how Ben was missing for so long without anyone noticing and a member of staff at the nursery has been suspended.
Ben had been attending the nursery for just a few days and his mum Mitra Ahmadi, 27, was only leaving him there for a couple of hours between 1 and 3.25pm on the day he was shut inside the box.
When she arrived to pick up her son Mrs Ahmadi was told her husband, 35-year-old Saeid Sangi, had already taken their son home - which she knew was not true because he was sitting in the car outside.
She said: "Even now I can't believe it. I never left him with anybody else before, even my close friends. I can't believe nobody noticed he wasn't there."
The Daisy Bank Centre, which opened in 1962 to provide day care, was issued with a notice to improve after an Ofsted inspection in April this year.
Inspectors concluded that although the nursery provided satisfactory education, the quality and standards of care were "inadequate".
The centre employs 12 staff and offers both full day and part time care for children aged six months to five years. There are 43 children on the roll.
Ben's parents are from Iran but he was born in England after they emigrated a few years ago.
The family live in Manchester and Mr Sangi is studying on a college course in the city with a view to training to work in the medical profession.
Playing
It is believed that Ben was playing outside the nursery with other children when it started to rain and staff took the youngsters inside.
The council probe will focus on how Ben became locked in the toy container (see a picture in the gallery above) and why no member of staff noticed he was missing inside the nursery.
It is not clear if the door to the box was locked or just pushed closed but Ben was unable to get out and was trapped in the dark inside.
A source close to the investigation said: "There are issues within the children's services department about staff and children ratios in nurseries.
"It is one issue that will have to be looked at in the investigation. Also what kind of support have the parents received from the council after going through this - it would appear none."
John Edwards, Deputy Director, Children's Services, Manchester City Council, said: "We can confirm that we are investigating an incident that took place at Daisy Bank nursery , involving a child who appears to have been accidentally locked into a metal shed used for storing toys in the grounds of the nursery at the end of an outdoor play session.
"We have apologised unreservedly to the child's parents for this.
"One member of staff has been suspended and another has been removed to administrative duties away from the centre whilst this investigation takes place. Ofsted have also been informed."
Read more from Ben's mum via the link on the right of this page.
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Showing comments 1 to 24 and replies | View All
dessie, manchester (10/07/2008 at 07:21)
Tezza, Tyldesley (10/07/2008 at 07:23)
Counselling or Compensation?
I wonder which they will be going for first.
The boy looks ok and if they make a big deal of this in front of him it could make him scared of enclosed spaces, try to make no mention of it in front of him and then get him back to nursery as soon as possible (maybe not that one) but then again it is not going to happen again is it.
A Mancunian, Manchester (10/07/2008 at 09:10)
Rugbygirl, Urmston (10/07/2008 at 10:03)
Edward Davies, Chorlton (10/07/2008 at 10:26)
A level head - you decide (10/07/2008 at 10:32)
Why raise claims and compensation. What is the relevance?
Fact is the boy climbed into a box and could not be found. It is unacceptable and children in nurseries should be able to be accounted for at all times, and he wasn't.
wayneold, manc (10/07/2008 at 10:35)
Tezza, Tyldesley (10/07/2008 at 10:48)
You obviously don’t live in the real world; let’s just see how long it takes these people to put in a claim for compensation for stress.
We brought up the issue of compensation because that’s what people do these days, they always blame someone else (and yes it was the nursery’s fault) and then want compensating for it, as “Rugbygirl” says lets just hope that they accept the apology get on with things.
I and think that they have dragged the kid though the glare of the media enough
And to say that the child climbed into a “BOX” was not exactly correct was it; it was in fact an industrial sized container.
Deb (10/07/2008 at 10:50)
That's bloody distressing by anyone's standards, let alone a toddler's.
The point here is that he should have been accounted for. The point isn't that he was not in immediate danger, but that he could have been anywhere.
I really feel for this woman. You agonise over where to leave your kids and you trust people to look after them as well as you do.
A level head - you decide (10/07/2008 at 10:55)
However, you are inventing an angle to this story which is not there. The story was not published to discuss compensation but to describe an alarming situatin for this mother and possible poor practice on the nurseries behalf.
Whatever, sorry is not always enough but is a good start to set things right.
In your world everyone can make unaccountable errors,as long as you say sorry its ok.
Don Paolo (10/07/2008 at 11:33)
local_lass, Burnage (10/07/2008 at 11:42)
Children should not be able to wander into a container in the first place. And if for some reason they can then the container should be checked before it is locked up again.
Leo B (10/07/2008 at 12:39)
sandra young (10/07/2008 at 13:05)
sy
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (10/07/2008 at 13:07)
However I don't believe a claim should be made, after all the child has turned up safe and well, people making all these claims just hinders everybody else from getting on with normal life
pamela3691@hotmail.com (10/07/2008 at 18:00)
Sam 1986, Stretford (10/07/2008 at 19:20)
For them to not have noticed a child in their care had gone missing, and then tell his mum that his father had picked him up!! Disgraceful!
My son goes to a nursery, and to read this it sends shivers down my spine.
LIVERPOOL LOU, liverpool (10/07/2008 at 22:16)
Poor practise,by the City Council to have exposed information to the media regarding staff being suspended and moved to admin duties!
Do they not have a duty of care to their employees?
Where does responsibility for this situation begin and end?
Senior managers should also take ownership and be investigated.
sc (10/07/2008 at 22:46)
a parent, manchester (10/07/2008 at 23:16)
My child loves the nursry and as a close relationship with staff its a shame that this outshines all the improvements and good work that takes place!!!!!!
lloyd campbell, manchester (11/07/2008 at 04:05)
Tezza, Tyldesley (11/07/2008 at 07:40)
“In your world everyone can make unaccountable errors, as long as you say sorry its ok.”
No that’s not the case, saying sorry is a waste of time unless you really mean it and I suspect that the person apologizing from Manchester City Council was just some public relations officer.
In a case like this something has to be done to correct the problems but that should not always included paying compensation to the victim, “accidents do happen”
Steptoe Harold Albert kitchener, Germany (11/07/2008 at 21:12)
The little Gits!
garfield (13/07/2008 at 20:53)