A two-year-old boy was discovered by a stranger walking unattended in the middle of a main road after leaving a Swansea nursery without staff knowledge on Wednesday, 23 September. The incident has prompted investigations by South Wales Police and Care Inspectorate Wales, and has left the child's parents deeply distressed about their son's safety and their ability to trust childcare providers.
Noah's parents, Sarah Durgan, 22, and Tarik Al Roshoq, 24, from Swansea, said their son was found on Gors Avenue in Mayhill. According to local reporting, the incident occurred at approximately 10:15am, with police responding to the scene around 11am.
A member of the public, Nicolle Richards, discovered Noah and brought him to safety. In a social media post, Richards described the moment:
"Today has been one of the scariest days of my life. I was driving up Gors Avenue and could see a little boy walking in the middle of the road. I stopped and grabbed him, a man went down to the nursery to grab someone, a woman come out I explained he was in the middle of the road."
The parents learned of the incident approximately 40 minutes after dropping Noah off, when they arrived to collect him from nursery. They said the nursery initially attributed the escape to
"no-one watching him"and
"a door being left open."
How did the child manage to leave the premises?
Noah's parents disputed the nursery's explanation, pointing out the multiple barriers their son would have needed to bypass. They stated he would have had to pass through two baby gates, four doors including fire doors, and the main gate to reach Gors Avenue. The nursery later acknowledged that he should not have been able to leave the premises, though it disputed claims that Noah had been found further down the road near traffic lights, saying he had not reached that point.
The parents spoke to three eyewitnesses who confirmed Noah had been alone without adult supervision and that nursery staff appeared unaware he was missing. Al Roshoq recounted his conversation with the nursery manager:
"When we first got in, we spoke to the manager, who said they were very sorry and there was no excuse for the doors to be open."
What are the parents' concerns?
The incident has had a severe emotional impact on the family. Durgan has been unable to eat or sleep since the event, and both parents expressed their distress at the breach of trust. Al Roshoq said:
"He could have been hit by a car, a bus, he could have been taken."He added:
"This stuff shouldn't be happening, especially in a safe place. How is that even possible?"
Durgan reflected on the assumptions parents make when using childcare:
"When you drop your children off in school or nursery you never think that anything could happen to them because they are in a professional's hands."The couple have since withdrawn Noah from the nursery, and several other families have also removed their children as a result of the incident.
Despite knowing Noah is now safe, the parents remain fearful and unable to rest. Al Roshoq described the situation as
"a parent's worst nightmare,"saying:
"We can't sleep, we know he's safe, pray to God he's safe, but we keep checking in on him."The couple expressed anxiety about leaving Noah or his brother Malik in the care of others.
What has the nursery said?
Seren Fach Day Nursery, which has operated in the local community for over 30 years and cares for children aged three months to five years, issued a statement acknowledging the concerns raised. The nursery said it
"completely understand[s] why members of the public and our families are concerned after reading the post"and emphasised that
"the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care is something we take incredibly seriously."
The nursery stated it has
"established safeguarding and security procedures in place, alongside staff training and risk assessments, all of which are being carefully investigated as part of our response to this incident."According to available reports, the nursery reported the incident to Care Inspectorate Wales by phone and email within an hour and has been working with police, the family, CIW and the local authority.
The nursery also said that Noah and his parents visited to review evidence and statements, and that Noah subsequently returned to the nursery and played with his friends.
What do the authorities say?
South Wales Police confirmed it is investigating the incident after officers responded to reports of "safeguarding concerns" when a child left the nursery without staff knowledge. Care Inspectorate Wales said it is unable to comment while inquiries are ongoing but would take
"any necessary action"to ensure children's safety and wellbeing.
The regulator stated:
"Where concerns are raised, we work to ensure providers meet the national minimum standards for regulated childcare, which include specific requirements on safeguarding, premises security and child protection."It encouraged anyone with concerns about childcare to contact CIW directly.
What happens next?
According to recent updates, Care Inspectorate Wales said it would review evidence and conduct its own investigation, with findings to be shared in due course. No specific date for those findings has been reported.
Key Facts
- Noah, aged two, was found walking alone on Gors Avenue in Mayhill at approximately 10:15am on Wednesday, 23 September, and was brought to safety by a member of the public
- The child's parents say he would have needed to pass through two baby gates, four doors including fire doors, and the main gate to escape the premises
- The incident has prompted investigations by South Wales Police and Care Inspectorate Wales, with the nursery reporting the matter to regulators within an hour
- Several families have withdrawn their children from Seren Fach Day Nursery following the incident
- The nursery, which has operated for over 30 years, said it has established safeguarding and security procedures that are being investigated as part of its response
