An inquiry has been launched after a toddler escaped unnoticed from a nursery and wandered across a road.

Horrified mum Kathryn Burnet is demanding to know how her two-and-a-half-year-old son Callum could have left the premises during story-time without being stopped by staff.

Although Callum was unhurt, she fears he could have been knocked over by a car or fallen prey to a child molester.

And she has been forced to find alternative day care because she says the Baildon nursery asked her to withdraw her "disruptive" son saying staff could no longer cope with him.

She has now lodged a complaint about the privately-run Piccolo Day Nursery, in Heaton Drive, with Bradford Council Social Services' Registration and Inspection Unit, which has launched an investigation.

Last night the nursery issued parents with letters admitting that a child had got out through a secure door but maintaining that it had never happened before and stressing that security did comply with regulations.

Mrs Burnet, a working mum who has another son, Christopher, eight, said: "I've made the complaint because I want to make sure it can't happen again. I'd hate to say nothing and for it then to happen to someone else's child.

"I think it's disgusting and would just like to know how a two-and-a-half-year-old child can get out when three or four members of staff were supposed to be looking after him."

She added: "I've been told he was sitting down and within five minutes wasn't there. But staff were there so what were they doing while he was opening the main door, crossing the playground, opening the gate which has a bolt on it and then going up the road?

"They phoned me up and said a member of staff had seen him running up the road and that he was half-way up Heaton Drive.

"He was very lucky nothing happened but I dread to think what could have been. I'd like to think I know where my child is 24 hours a day and would like whoever looks after him to know as well.''

The divorcee, of Amblers Mews, Baildon, admits Callum is ''hyperactive'' and ''hard to handle'' but says qualified staff should be able to cope with him.

She added: "They've said he's a disruptive and destructive child, who spits and hits people but he doesn't do that at home or at the other childminder's he goes to two days a week. He'd been at Piccolo since about last September and there have never been any complaints about him before.''

Callum's Childminder Carol Carson said he had never spat or bitten anyone at her house and added: "I make sure my doors are locked so the children can't get out and can't understand how he's managed to get out of the nursery."

Linda Ward, joint proprietor of ITM Childcare which runs seven nurseries in the district including Piccolo in Baildon, said: "Callum was being looked after and he did get out of the nursery. It was an unfortunate incident that I spoke to Mrs Burnet about within five minutes of it happening.''

She said the youngster had been missing for about two minutes and had been found in a garden across the road.

Mrs Ward said the nursery's security systems fully complied with regulations, adding: "We have reviewed them since this has happened and are certain it would never happen again. That nursery's been open since 1991 and it's the first incident in the whole group of nurseries we have had.''

She said she would not dispute anything Mrs Burnet said but refused to discuss the matter further because a child was involved.

A Bradford Council spokesman confirmed a complaint had been received. "We have a duty under the 1989 Children Act to investigate all such complaints and an inquiry has now begun," she said. "Once this is completed we will respond to the parent concerned and the nursery.''

She added that in the past year there had been 27 complaints - covering everything from fees to standards of care - about private nurseries.

She said nurseries wanting to be registered had to meet strict guidelines covered by the Children's Act, 1989. These include staff qualifications and numbers, the size of the premises, the space ratio per child, the provision of a safe and secure environment, toilet facilities and car parking.

"We visit at least once a year," she said. "If someone is failing to meet the guidelines what we usually do is to serve notice on them to put matters right.

"If they fail to do this, we can, as a very last resort, apply to magistrates to get the registration cancelled."

Karen Robinson, of Bolton Abbey, whose two-year-old daughter Chloe goes to the nursery, said she had had no problems and added: "They're very responsible in there. I think it's unfortunate it's happened but it's just one of those things and I'm not worried at all.''

Another parent Darren Thompson, from Baildon, whose two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Emily attends three times a week, also defended the nursery.

"I have never had any complaints or problems with the security there.

"Emily could not have physically got out of there. For a child to do that it would have to be about four feet tall to get up to the latch on the main door.

"The gate outside is always bolted - with the bolt on the pavement side - so they would have had to reach through the gate, shoot the bolt and then open the gate inwards towards themselves."

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