Newport Pagnell: Dad of missing boy thanks rescuers

The father of a six-year-old boy who was found asleep close to a motorway after going missing from a school trip said he would "never forget" the people who found him.

Aadil Umair Rahim disappeared from Newport Pagnell services on the M1, near Milton Keynes, at 19:15 GMT on 17 January last year.

More than 1,000 people joined the nine-hour overnight search.

His father said he could "never find enough words" to thank them.

Umair Rahim, who lives in Nottingham, said: "Looking back at this time last year, it feels like a terrible dream.

"I'm really pleased to say that Aadil is absolutely fine now and he has forgotten all about it and has moved on with his life."

Aadil was found near roadworks just off the northbound carriageway, at about 04:15 on Saturday 18 January.

He had been visiting museums in London with his classmates when the group stopped at the services for a break on the Friday evening, and he disappeared.

Search-and-rescue teams from four regions deployed 54 searchers, three dogs and a boat to search for Aadil.

Initially it was thought the schoolboy could be hiding in the service station, but concern grew over the hours when there was no sign of him and the temperature dropped.

He was eventually found asleep, close to the motorway, in Newbolt Close.

Mr Rahim added: "The school had an internal investigation but we do not blame anyone. It was a terrible night but we are so grateful everything was fine in the end.

"We will never be able to thank everyone enough for all their efforts to find him."

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