A CHEEKY boy with Down’s Syndrome went adventuring on Monday, sparking a major hunt after going missing from his Darlington school.

Beaumont Hill Academy pupil Dylan Stokes dodged his bus home and set off on a lengthy quest across Darlington, oblivious to the worry he was causing.

As teachers, police and his family searched frantically, the 12-year-old wandered the streets for hours.

His mother is now urging people to do more to help lost children, astonished by the amount of people who turned a blind eye to her vulnerable son.

Dylan walked almost a mile to a supermarket before boarding a bus to Darlington town centre where he tried to get a haircut, buy trainers for his holidays and reserve tickets for a wrestling show, hi-fiving staff in Greggs before running off with a cake.

The Northern Echo: MISSING: 12-year-old Dylan Stokes from Darlington went missing from Beaumont Hill special school yesterday as he was getting on the bus and went on a jaunt around town, ending up at The Forum picture: SARAH CALDECOTT
LIVERPOOL FAN: 12-year-old Dylan Stokes from Darlington went missing from Beaumont Hill special school yesterday as he was getting on the bus and went on a jaunt around town, ending up at The Forum. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

He was finally stopped in his tracks by a sympathetic worker at The Forum, after he rang the venue’s doorbell and asked if he could meet wrestlers he once saw perform there.

Last night his mother, Kelly Ucarcan, criticised school staff, saying they did not do enough to ensure her son boarded his bus home and left it too long before alerting police.

She said the incident made her fear for her son’s life and left her shocked at people’s reluctance to intervene.

She said: “I didn’t think I would see him again, I thought someone might pick him up and worried about him being in the dark alone – he didn’t know how to get home.

“He went in shops, across busy roads and nobody stopped him, he even asked a woman to help him tie his shoelaces.

“If a little boy is wandering the streets alone, clearly disabled and can’t tie his shoelaces, why aren’t people doing anything?

“People these days seem scared of approaching kids but they should question what’s happening and contact the police if they’re worried.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

She added: “The relief when he was found was unreal, I cried and cried then laughed when he said he’d just been trying to book tickets for wrestling.

“We’re so grateful to Jan at The Forum who kept him there when everyone else let him go.”

Daring Dylan said: “My adventure was funny but I was scared because I missed my mam.”

A spokesman from the Education Village, which incorporates specialist needs school Beaumont Hill Academy, said staff had conducted an immediate search, alerted police and have now put measures in place to prevent such incidents happening again.