A 12-YEAR-old boy from Chester was found safe and well yesterday after spending a night on the Lancashire moors.
The boy was one of three care home residents who ran off from carers during a field trip on Wednesday, sparking a widespread search and rescue operation. He has not been named.
One of the other two boys, aged nine and 12, comes from Macclesfield and both had been placed in the Nook care home in Colne, by Cheshire Social Services.
The three boys were part of a group of five residents from the home taken by two care workers to Caldwell Reservoir in Widdop.
At 4pm the group was due to return home, but all five youths ran off and carers were only able to catch two, sparking off a search operation involving two mountain rescue teams and a police helicopter.
This continued until 3am on Thursday, when conditions became too dangerous and the search was suspended until daylight.
At midday yesterday Lancashire Police said all three boys had been spotted and recovered by a police officer in Burnley, about five miles from the reservoir.
Inspector Dave Croll, of Burnley police, said: 'They are in good spirits and, although they haven't told us where they have been overnight, from their physical appearance we suspect they have found somewhere safe and warm and dry.'
A Cheshire County Council spokesperson said: 'The two boys were in the care of Cheshire Social Services who had placed them in the care home which is also an educational establishment.
They were placed there because it was felt this home was best suited to their needs.
'We have been monitoring the situation and are obviously extremely pleased they have been found. The council will expect a full report on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.'
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