Delight as missing boy is found safe and well

AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy, who sparked a massive search after slipping out of his home in the middle of the night, was found safe and well yesterday less than three miles away - as an RAF helicopter was about to join in the search.

Fears had been raised for the safety and wellbeing of Declan Riley after he disappeared from the family home in Willow Place, Blairgowrie, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The schoolboy had left a goodbye note to his distraught mother.

But, shortly before 3pm, Declan was picked up by officers on a country road, near to Rosemount golf course, after he was spotted by a woman whose dogs had been barking at the youngster as he passed her home.

Superintendent Tony Beveridge, who led the search, said Declan had been reunited with his relieved mother, Jennifer-Ann, within minutes of being found.

He said: "He was just off the Coupar Angus road. A member of the public who had heard the appeals on the radio saw him go past, recognised the description, and contacted us. He was on a B road about three miles from his home. He was potentially heading home.

"He was taken straight home and his mother is obviously delighted.

"The officers involved are also delighted and very relieved to find him safe and well. And we will do full debrief with him and his family to find out the reason why he has gone away and we will be working with other agencies, if necessary, to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Earlier, his mother had issued an anguished appeal through Tayside Police for help in tracing her missing son, a primary seven pupil at Newhill Primary School.

She said: "I got up this morning to get the kids ready for school and Declan wasn't in his room. Together with his brothers and sister we searched the entire house but he was nowhere to be found."

At the height of the search 30 police officers were joined by firefighters from Tayside Fire and Rescue Service and a large number of civilian volunteers.