Missing toddler 'left among drunk men'

A two-year-old boy missing since Thursday afternoon has been found at a Melbourne train station after having been left among a group of drunk men.

Mill Park boy Dale Saunders was being taken home by his grandfather on Thursday when he went into a shop and left the boy in the care of 20-year-old family friend Nicholas Kirby about 4pm (AEST).

His grandfather emerged to find that Kirby had disappeared, along with Dale.

Police later saw the pair with a group of men in Fitzroy, in Melbourne's inner north.

They arrested Kirby on an outstanding warrant and took him into custody.

A source has told AAP that police left the two-year-old with the only man in the group who was not intoxicated.

Dale was not reported missing until after police met with the group.

The toddler was found with the man, who was known to his family, at Flinders Street Station in the city at 11.30am, police confirmed on Friday.

Senior Constable Marty Beveridge said the event was a misunderstanding which had now been resolved.

He said he was confident the police officers did relevant checks to ensure the adult was able to care adequately for the child.

It is understood Dale was at the Preston Police Station on Friday afternoon, where Department of Human Services staff were liaising with police and the family.

"DHS staff are talking to the police and will be talking to Dale's family," a DHS spokesman told AAP.


http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/6102096

OMG what are some people thinking?!

I am glad they found him and they will probably have a good look at his living situation now. I saw the report yesterday about him being missing and I thought the whole thing sounded strange.