"It's being called a 'safe handling policy,' but the extraordinary health and safety rule which has enabled an inquisitive four-year-old boy to repeatedly wander out the school playground is enough to give any parent nightmares.
On four occasions since the start of term, youngster River Baker has walked out of school grounds during break time to explore the outside world.
Each time he has apparently been spotted by the supervising member of staff.
But instead of grabbing or running after him to bring him back, the teacher has 'tracked' the youngster on foot to ensure he comes to no harm and rung the police so officers can stop him.
On one occasion River and another boy of similar age were followed as they walked near a busy main road and five police vehicles turned up to pick them up, she claimed.
The bizarre series of events and refusal of staff to physically stop the four-year-old walking out the open school entrance has appalled and astonished River's mother Suzan Baker, 44.
'There are all sorts of issues here,' she said.
'The school policy is crazy but the security is also pathetic. The teachers say they keep an eye on the kids in the playground all the time, but when they get out, which is so easy to do, they have to follow them a couple of hundred yards behind. It's ludicrous.'
River has left St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School in Richmond, North Yorkshire, four times since January - twice going into a school next door, once walking alongside a busy road and once heading for woodland.
Miss Baker, a single mother-of-three, said she was told due to policy staff were not allowed to grab him.
'I was on a driving lesson when I got a call telling me that they had picked him up from woods at the back of his school. They told me they had followed him and rung the police. When I questioned them about it they just said "do you know how fast a four-year-old can run?"
'It's crazy, an adult could easily catch up with him and safely restrain him. But apparently it is school policy not to grab them.'
Two weeks earlier River and a friend were heading towards an abbey about a mile from the school and walking next to a busy road.
'Again the teacher followed behind and this time five police vans turned up to pick them up. When I found out about this I flipped my lid.
'It's so dangerous out there, it's terrifying what could have happened to them. They could have been run over or grabbed by a sicko before the police got there, it doesn't bear thinking about.' "
Another case of health and safety obsessed Britain...
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