A young schoolboy with special needs who managed to give his teachers the slip was found half an hour later – in a shopping centre.
Noah Rae, who has a rare genetic disorder, managed walked along a busy road to get from Dyce Primary to the shopping centre nearly a mile away.
And it was only when a shop worker recognised the 10-year-old and rang his shocked mother that the school discovered he was missing.
His mother, Emma, said the incident highlighted the need for her child to moved to a school with more support.
The 35-year-old said: “The office staff didn’t know anything about it. I think he’d been away for about half-an-hour.
“He shouldn’t be getting the opportunity to be getting away. It’s not the right school for him.”
A few years ago, Noah was diagnosed with Coffin-Siris Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that means he requires one-on-one attention.
His parents have been pushing for him to be moved out of the inclusive mainstream school, amid fears that an incident like this would happen.
Dad Matthew, 35, said: “We knew something like this would happen in the future. Our worry is that he could get even further, the River Don isn’t that much further away.
“We wanted him to go to Mile End for school, but the application form for his school place wasn’t passed to Raeden to add comment.”
Mrs Rae added: “It was ridiculous. He was still in nappies, he couldn’t talk and had walking difficulties and various other issues. But by the time I got hold of the application, it was too late and all the school allocations had been made.
“I was told that I would have to accept the place at Dyce in the special needs base.”
The couple is now urging the council to take action and hurry along proposed plans for a fence around the school.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said last night: “All children with additional support needs have their needs reviewed regularly.
“When an incident such as this occurs it triggers an immediate review.
“An investigation into how this particular event happened is under way.
“Security around the school is also being considered and the possibility of fencing off the school playground was discussed by parents and a council officer at a meeting of the parent council on Tuesday. Following the meeting further advice from colleagues in planning will be sought before a proposal for the installation of fencing becomes a formal consultation with parents and the wider community.”