Boy, 11, is abandoned at airport

POLICE and social services inquiries were underway last night after it emerged a mother had abandoned her 11-year-old son at an airport as she flew out for a Christmas holiday in the Canary Islands.

The boy was given house keys, 50 in cash and sent home in a taxi to live on frozen pizza while his mother and younger brother left Manchester Airport for a three-week holiday in the popular Spanish resort.

The incident came as police confirmed they had questioned Jill Parker, from London, over allegations of child neglect after it emerged she had abandoned her 12-year-old son, Rufus, for a fortnight as she went on holiday in Spain and Austria.

Both are so-called "Home Alone" cases, named after the 1990 movie in which Macaulay Culkin stars as an eight-year-old boy whose parents accidentally leave him behind when they go on holiday at Christmas.

The Home Office said that 49 children under the age of two were found abandoned by their parents in England and Wales last year. There were also 3,048 cases of cruelty to, or neglect of, children.

A leading psychologist said the Christmas holiday period can often lead to feelings of depression, brought on by stress, as well as selfish behaviour. There is an increase in assault, abuse and suicides, and a rise in marital breakdowns.

It is believed the youngster in Manchester, who has been placed in foster care and cannot be identified for legal reasons, was left behind last Wednesday after check-in officials at Manchester Airport told the family they needed a passport for him or he could not travel .

A neighbour spotted the boy struggling to get into the family home in New Mills, Derbyshire, at about midnight.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Derbyshire Police confirmed a 33-year-old woman had returned from Fuerteventura at the weekend and was being questioned over allegations that she abandoned her child.

He said: "A woman will be questioned by police following reports that an 11-year-old boy was left at home alone in New Mills. We were contacted last Wednesday by local social services about the boy, who has been made the subject of an interim care order."

It is thought that the family had travelled together to the airport from their home, about 25 miles away. Police sources say that the mother is believed to have had an argument with airline staff after she was told she needed a passport to allow the boy to travel. She is then alleged to have handed him a door key and sent him home in a taxi before flying off on her break.

Derbyshire County Council said that an 11-year-old boy had been placed in foster care. It is believed that he will not be re-united with his mother over the Christmas period.

A spokeswoman said: "We can confirm we were contacted regarding the safety and welfare of an 11-year-old boy in the High Peak area and he has since been placed in foster care. An investigation by social services is also underway."

A neighbour of the family said yesterday that the youngster had been in tears as he tried to get back into his home last week.

She added: "A friend of mine had seen him getting out of the taxi. He was getting out of the cab on his own and she asked him what had happened and he burst into tears and said his mum didn’t have his passport, so she sent him home in the taxi."

The child was cared for by another neighbour, who said those living in New Mills had been shocked by the incident.

She said: "I looked after him for two days. He was sent home from the airport to an empty house and he had no-one to look after him. He has now been placed with foster parents while police carry out further inquiries.

"Everyone here is shocked something like this could happen to such a young boy. What must have been going through the mother’s mind is beyond me, it seems an especially cruel thing to do at Christmas."

Dr Cynthia McVey, a psychologist at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: "Two things happen at Christmas, one is that people become clinically depressed. At this time of the year, there is a feeling of love and goodwill and stable and loving families with enough money, but if you are feeling down you may feel more down because you are not reflecting that. The stress that can bring can be quite severe.

"The other unfortunate side is maybe a very few people who feel that it’s their Christmas, their time to enjoy themselves and they are being selfish and only thinking about themselves. The potential there is to do what makes you happy and not include other members of the family. People may think the children are old enough to fend for themselves."

Dr McVey added: " Christmas is a time when people almost feel obliged to enjoy themselves. Sometimes, their expectations are too high."