Conwy Valley kidnap scare was just “confusion”

Sep 11 2008 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

Gareth Watson and mum Beverley

A DISTRAUGHT mum is on medication for her nerves after she thought her son, who has learning difficulties, had been kidnapped.

Beverley Watson, 40, from Trefriw was left panicked after her son disappeared in what she thought was a stranger’s car earlier this week.

Beverley waved goodbye to her son Gareth, who suffers cerebral palsy, on Tuesday morning after seeing him get into what she thought was their usual council-contracted taxi to take him to Coleg Llandrillo in Rhos-on-Sea.

But moments later another taxi pulled up at their home, also claiming to be there on behalf of the council to pick up her 17-year-old son.

“We’ve lived in Trefriw for 11 years and Gareth has always been picked up by council contracted taxis to take him to school or college,” she said.

Menyn’s Private Hire from Llanrwst have had a contract with Conwy County Council for the past year to transport Gareth.

“We got a call the night before informing us the taxi would pick Gareth up earlier than usual for his first day back at college, but nothing to say anything had changed,” said Beverley.

“But when the second taxi turned up minutes after I’d waved Gareth off I just went into panic mode. No-one knew where he was or who he was with, I thought he’d been kidnapped.

“For a good hour and a half I was near to collapse with worry. Gareth may be fast approaching his 18th birthday but he is still classed as a vulnerable adult,” she said.

After some frantic ringing round to taxi ranks and the college, Beverley remembered the phone call from the night before and dialled 1471.

“I got through to Goddard Taxis in Cerrigydrudion and it turns out they had picked Gareth up. I was relieved but dumbstruck. I couldn’t believe the council hadn’t informed me or the other taxi firm that the contract had changed.”

A Conwy County Council spokeswoman said: “We have spoken to the family and apologised for the confusion caused.”

Beverley added: “I’m so angry at the way we have been treated. Someone somewhere is not doing their job properly for this to have happened.”

samantha.castle