IT could have been part of a Wallace and Gromit movie - a seven-year-old boy sleepwalks out of his house and goes missing for over an hour in the dark.

But this was real life when Preston animator Nick Park's young nephew got out of bed and made off into the night sparking a huge police and public hunt.

Seven-year-old Samuel Stefan, whose mum Janet is Nick's sister, unlocked the front door and left his Longton home wearing only his pyjamas on Sunday night.

The family heard the front door slam and rushed to see where Samuel, who was ill with flu, had gone, but there was no sign.

Mum Janet became extremely concerned. She said: "I was just about giving up hope. It was a nightmare, the longest hour of my life."

Eventually a mystery jogger found a cold but unharmed Samuel sleeping under wood about half a mile away from the family home on Chapel Lane.

A relieved Janet said that she wanted to thank the runner, police and hundreds of neighbours who rallied round to look.

Anxious grandparents Roger and Celia Park were among the search party. They praised the community spirit: "We want to thank everyone. They were all lined up on the street looking."

But now all is well what will famous Uncle Nick think when he finds out?

Roger joked: "Wallace and Gromit went missing in an American taxi. Samuel followed in good footsteps."

And mum Janet added: "I wonder if Nick will get some ideas from this. It would make a great film."

Inspector Dave Stewart of Leyland police said: "I got as many men as I could get my hands on to join the search. I had to drop everything and act quickly."

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