Schoolboy, 11, sparked massive police search after taking part in ‘hide in Ikea’ internet challenge that saw him vanish for 24 hours
The youngster went missing on Tuesday, managing to hide himself away in Ikea for 24 hours without being found
A SCHOOLBOY sparked a massive police hunt after hiding in Ikea for 24 hours as part of a viral internet challenge.
The 11-year-old didn't return home from school on Tuesday, with his dad, Abid Mirza, 30, left "fearing the worst" and immediately co-ordinating a search effort.
The youngster was finally found the next morning, with his dad revealing he had been trying to take part in the "Stay Inside IKEA Overnight and Not Be Discovered"; Internet challenge.
The dangerous new craze encourages children to hide out in popular stores and spend all night trying to avoid security.
Dad Abid, from Nether Edge in Sheffield, South Yorks., said: "We have been through a very rough time in the last 24 hours. I hope no parents go through this."
He said his son had been a "good child" until disappearing after finishing up at his Sheffield school on Tuesday.
He said he checked his son's mobile history, but the young boy had "planned" his disappearance.
The concerned dad is now pushing for more to be done to keep an eye on children caught up in the craze.
Following the incident at its store, Sheffield Ikea has stressed that it will be looking at measures to prevent it from happening again.
An IKEA spokesperson said: "At Ikea, the safety and security of our customers is one of our highest priorities. "We appreciate that people want to create fun experiences with us, but we do not allow this kind of activity to take place in our stores.
"We are constantly reviewing our security procedures to better prevent these incidents from happening."
South Yorkshire Police Detective Inspector Anna Sedgwick said: "Too many young people this internet craze may seem like a bit of fun that is impressive on social media, however the risks and harm that could be caused are by no means humorous and could be catastrophic.
"Warehouses and shopping departments contain large quantities of heavy stock and items that could easily fall and crush someone if they are moved incorrectly, or used to build makeshift forts.
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"There is also the potential risk of electrical faults and fires, which could have devastating consequences.
"As well as the safety risk, children often do this without the knowledge of their parents, which could lead to large-scale searches or even cause them to be reported as missing.
"This not only causes fear and worry for parents, friends, family and the local community but can also be a waste of valuable police time, which may be needed to respond to a life or death situation."
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