A six-year-old boy who vanished from an M1 service station during a school trip has been found safe after a nine-hour search. Aadil Umair Rahim was discovered near roadworks just off the northbound carriageway at about 04:15, nine hours after he went missing at Newport Pagnell services.
More than 1,000 people joined police in the overnight search, which included a police helicopter, fire service staff and members of the public. Temperatures fell to 1°C before the boy was found close to a footbridge near Newbolt Close in an area police said houses the matrix system.
The school coach had stopped at the services near Milton Keynes for a break as pupils travelled back to Nottingham after a trip to London. Search teams initially thought the boy could be hiding in the service station but grew concerned as the hours went by and the weather got colder.
His father, Umair Rahim, said he was "thankful to everyone" who searched tirelessly, adding he was still "kind of in shock and panic" but "he's safe now". In a Facebook post, he expressed gratitude to the emergency services and said more than 1,000 people had been looking for his son.
Supt Amy Clements of Thames Valley Police said: "This was a very difficult operation involving a very young boy and we are relieved to say that Aadil has been found safe and well. I'd like to thank the local community, who immediately offered help in trying to find Aadil."
