Laurence Dollimore
A BRITISH mother is facing prosecution for allegedly taking 13 hours to report her son as missing while holidaying in Spain.
It comes after a fast food worker saw Spanish police rescue the toddler from the Costa Blanca seafront after he was spotted walking around in just his pyjamas.
The employee claims he let the mum know what happened about an hour later when he saw her looking for her son.
But it would be another 12 hours before she called police in Torrevieja to confirm that they had her son.
Then despite being urged to come into the station immediately, the Brit took another two hours to arrive for her son.
Police had even warned that if she did not arrive soon they would put him into an emergency care home.
The unnamed Briton has been reported for alleged child abandonment and an investigation has been launched.
The fast food worker told the mother that her son had been picked up by police at around 8.30pm on Wednesday.
The mum did not contact police until 8.30am the next morning.
She allegedly claimed she had failed to arrive earlier because she knew her child was in safe hands.
Reports say she told officers she lost sight of him while they were out with friends.
The mum was not arrested but has been reported to court officials by the Guardia Civil who have taken on the police side of the investigation into the alleged case of child abandonment.
The promenade where the boy was found is in the heart of Torrevieja.
It is near to the spot where an off-duty police officer arrested a man suspected of trying to abduct a two-year-old girl last September.
