THIS is the harrowing moment a toddler escaped from nursery before running down a busy high street.
3-year-old James Maguire fled the playground through a broken fence post at Elmhurst House Day Nursery in Stone, Staffordshire.
He then stranded himself on a major road crossing in the town centre.
Nursery bosses apologised after a probe by education watchdog Ofsted.
And the boy’s parents have now removed him, saying their concerns about children‘s welfare have been “swept under the carpet”.
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CCTV footage showed James standing in the middle of a crossing on the A520 for 23 seconds before running further into the town.
He was eventually tracked down by staff from the nursery, which has now admitted its "failure".
James’s mum Fiona, who has two other children, criticised the way his escape has been handled.
NHS worker Mrs Maguire, 46, told the Stoke Sentinel: “He was standing there in the road for ages.
“There were failures in the care and safeguarding of my son, and this could easily have ended in the most appalling tragedy.”
She told how the family was left in an “absolute blind panic” and had not been contacted by the nursery for several hours after James escaped.
Elmhurst House said in a statement: "We are all deeply relieved that no harm came to the child.
"Following an immediate investigation, we have taken urgent steps to ensure this could never happen again."
They told how staff were "shocked and distressed" when James managed to get out, adding: "We regard this event as our responsibility and our failure.
"It should never be possible for a child to escape in this way, whatever the circumstances."
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James managed to escape from the nursery on May 16, prompting a visit from Ofsted inspectors the following day.
They ordered an overhaul of welfare measures at the nursery, including improvements to risk assessments and staffing ratios.
The watchdog said: "We will monitor the provider's response to ensure the actions are successfully completed."
Inspectors ruled after a follow-up visit on June 6 that nursery bosses had taken action so "staff demonstrate a clearer understanding of the role they play".
Ofsted said in a statement new measures should ensure "children can be kept safe from harm", adding: "We are satisfied the provider has met the safeguarding and welfare actions raised."
The watchdog rates Elmhurst House, which remains registered, as "good" overall.
Staffordshire County Council said it had liaised with Ofsted in response to the "very upsetting incident", while Staffordshire Police left the inquiry to Ofsted.
The force said this afternoon: "We received a report on 24 May 2023 about a three-year-old boy who had gone missing from a nursery in Stone on 16 May.
"Officers carried out enquiries and left the inquiry in the care of the regulator Ofsted."
