Sometimes, children manage to escape their parents’ watchful eyes in shopping centers during summer vacations. However, an 11-year-old boy from Manchester, UK, took this to a whole new level. His escapades didn’t just cause trouble for his mother; they also led to a major security breach at the city’s airport, resulting in several staff members being investigated.

In 2012, Manchester Airport spokesperson John Greenway revealed that an 11-year-old boy managed to bypass passport checks, boarding passes, and security screenings. He boarded a flight to Rome without detection until the aircraft was halfway to its destination. The boy had been with his mother at the Wythenshawe Civic Shopping Center, just two miles from the airport. She reported him missing, and surveillance cameras showed him leaving the shopping center before making his way to the airport.

The exact method of how the boy made it to the airport remains unclear. However, it is believed that he cleverly evaded his mother and walked to the airport, blending in with other families before boarding the closest flight to Rome. He managed to board the plane without a passport, ticket, or boarding pass. He was discovered midway through the flight and was returned to England when the aircraft landed back in Manchester at 9 PM. During the flight, he was under the supervision of the flight crew and Italian authorities.

The airport spokesperson stated that airport staff members were suspended, and an investigation was underway to determine how this occurred. However, he downplayed the incident, stating it was not a significant security breach as the boy had undergone a thorough security check before boarding the plane and posed no risk to passengers or the aircraft.

The English police did not press any charges against the boy as he had committed no crime.