Mum thanks 'lovely' people after becoming separated from kids while trying to get off train
A mum has thanked the "lovely" people who came to her rescue after she got separated from her three children at the train station.
Nana Akua Boakyewaa, from Telford, was on her way home from a day out in Birmingham with her children when the family got separated at Telford Central railway station.
Nana was trying to get her twin pushchair out of the train, when the doors suddenly shut and the train moved off, leaving three of her young children on the platform.
She had no option but to get off at Wellington, the next stop, where a member of the public saw her in distress and came to her aid.
Nana said the she was "terrified" in the moment and was struggling to catch her breath: "I was thinking the worst although I was staying positive."
After explaining what had happened the man drove her back to Telford Central, but the three children, aged two, five and nine, were nowhere to be seen.
Good Samaritans came to Nana's rescue – people at the train station, the police and a paramedic, who encouraged her to calm down and went "the extra mile" to look for her children.
In a statement, Nana said: "All I want to say is a big thank you to all the lovely people I met at the train station who called the police, encouraging me to calm down and went the extra mile to look for my children.
"They all felt like a family as they stayed through with me to the end.
"Thanks to the lovely paramedic guy who left all that he was doing even though he was off duty and helped calmed me down telling me my kids will be found.
"A big thank you to the all the policemen who went out of their way to be there for me and my children and finally a big thank you to the gentleman whom till now, I don't know, but took my kids to my house, dropped them at my neighbours and made sure they were safe enough."
The police reviewed CCTV footage and saw the children getting into a taxi not long after the train had departed.
Shortly after, Police Community Support Officers were sent to the family's address in Madeley where the children were found safe and well with a neighbour.
Nana went on to say that she wishes no parent to go through what she did on that day, but that she was so grateful for everyone's support.
Speaking after the incident, Inspector Richard Jones said: “This was a highly distressing case for the family involved, and I can’t thank the public and our officers enough for their quick thinking and response to ensure they were reunited swiftly and safely.
“I want to pay special thanks to the taxi driver, who dropped everything to put the children’s safety first and helped them get home. Thanks must also go to the man who helped their mother get back to Telford Central and stayed with her whilst we checked CCTV and carried out searches of the area."
