A police inquiry is under way after a 17-year-old boy was left stranded on the M11 in Cambridgeshire by his parents.
Police say the boy had walked a mile “on the darkest stretch of that motorway to the emergency SOS phone to get some help”.
A police spokesperson said it was difficult to understand motive.
“Imagine you are 17 years old. Imagine being left by your parents at the side of a motorway near a city you are not familiar with,” said the spokesperson.
“Imagine having to walk a mile at night, on the darkest stretch of that motorway, to the emergency SOS phone to get some help.
“That was the reality for one boy recently on the M11.
“He wasn’t from Cambridgeshire and had no links to here, but he needed our help, and we did exactly that.”
The spokesperson said officers from the Cambridgeshire Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU), stepped in.
“He was temporarily placed in police protection and is in a safer environment while investigations continue into where he will now be happiest,” said the spokesperson.
“A lot of the work from our CAISU team is sensitive in nature and difficult to share, but examples like this highlight work that goes on behind the scenes and helps highlight our commitment to protecting children – a force priority.”
Cambridgeshire offered advice if people have concerns about a child.
“You don’t have to be sure, but one call or report could change or even save a life,” said the spokesperson.
“All reports can be made in confidence and can be done anonymously.”
For more information and advice on child protection, including how to report concerns, visit the force’s dedicated web page.
Police said they have released all the information we can about this particular investigation and will not be releasing anything further due to the sensitive nature of the work involved.
