Nursery worker suspended after toddler was left alone for two hours in minibus on the hottest day of the year
The girl, two, was found by shocked colleagues after temperatures hit 32 degrees C in the seaside town
A NURSERY worker has been suspended after a toddler was left alone on a minibus for two hours on the hottest day of the year.
The little girl, two, was found by the woman's shocked colleagues after temperatures hit 32 degrees Celsius.
The charity which runs the nursery later admitted the child was left on the bus outside their premises for "more than two hours without staff knowing".
The Camau Bach nursery at Aberystwyth, West Wales, has now been closed for a week for "staff training".
It is run by a charity called Mudiad Meithrin and it confirmed Camau Bach will be closed for a week to allow the investigation and training to take place.
Yesterday saw temperatures of up to 92.3F (33.5C) in Britain, making it hotter than Saudi Arabia.
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The member of staff responsible for the child was immediately suspended from her work.
It is understood the child was medically examined but was not in ill health.
A statement sent to parents said: "Following an incident we have decided to close the nursery for a week until Thursday July 28 so that in house training and maintenance can take place. Sorry for any inconvenience."
The incident was referred to the Care and Social Services Inspectorate and the council's safeguarding board.
The car was parked in a disabled spot at Watersfield Shopping Centre in Watford on Monday afternoon – at the time a record high 30C.
The young child was sat in a car seat while the mother browsed the shops.
Staff noticed the tot and tried to summon the mum on the loud speaker for around 40 minutes before she returned to the car.
The London Ambulance Service said it had had 300 more calls than usual on Tuesday and the RSPCA said it had also seen a spike in calls from members of the public concerned about dogs left in hot cars, conservatories, sheds and caravans.
Soaring temperatures prompted St John Ambulance to issue a stark warning to take particular care in the baking heat.Children should be especially careful, the charity said, as it told people to beware of the signs of heatstroke – which can include headaches, dizziness and cramp.
Clive James, training officer for the charity, said: “Extreme heat can be dangerous, particularly for the very young and old.
“But by being prepared you can spot the early warning signs and potentially be the difference between life and death in an emergency.
“Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are the most serious problems that can develop when the mercury soars.
“So it’s essential that people can spot the signs – such as headache and dizziness – and get them somewhere cool and re-hydrated as soon as possible.”