A MELBOURNE couple took 14 hours to realise their five-year-old son had been left behind at a late-night Christmas lights display.
The boy, Alexander, was discovered wandering alone at 11.30pm on Sunday in a street in Vermont South. However, it took his parents until lunchtime yesterday to realise he was missing and contact police.
Alexander spent the night in the watch house at Nunawading police station and was then delivered to the Department of Human Services.
Police said the family took two cars from their Dandenong home with their eight children, as well as a neighbour's children, to the lights. Each parent thought the other had Alexander in their car for the trip home.
"They've got home and all piled out, and the kids have gone straight to bed and they didn't realise anything was amiss until lunchtime today," Sergeant Wayne Williams said.
Alexander slept well at the police station, Sergeant Williams said.
"He curled up and went to sleep. Alexander was a little bewildered and not used to the surroundings but adapted pretty quickly."
Police said Alexander's parents were tracked down at 1.45pm. "We understand they had taken the family in two cars to visit the display and due to having a large number of children with them they have accidentally left Alexander at the location," a police statement said.
It was not clear why it took 14 hours to reunite Alexander with his parents.
He told police his name was Alexander, but could not tell them his surname or where he lived.
AAP