Toddler found on streets alone in early morning

Attendants at South Hedland’s BP service station were forced to call police last week after discovering a three-year-old boy wandering the streets alone.

Police picked up the boy on March 22 just after 7am and cared for him at South Hedland police station before his parents arrived 90 minutes later.

Senior Sergeant Dean Snashall said police learnt from the child’s parents they had not checked on the boy since putting him to bed about 9pm the night before.

He expressed alarm the child could have been out on the streets all night.

“Potentially the child could have left his home between 9pm (last night) and 7am (this morning), ” he said.

Sen. Sgt Snashall said the Department of Child protection had now been notified.

The incident comes just weeks after police picked up two other very young children who had also been wandering local streets alone.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Sen. Sgt Snashall said the arrival of the boy’s parents had brought with it a saving grace.

Police had been just about to change his nappy.

“There was a lot of rock, paper, scissors going on that moment and officers had begun to suddenly leave the station on important jobs, ” Sen. Sgt Snashall said.