THE father of a toddler who went missing for four hours after taking a bus from Blackburn to Bolton has told how his worst nightmare finally ended in joy.

Neville Loram said it was a "wonderful moment" when he took his son Lee back in his arms.

The three-year-old disappeared while out with his mother Kelly in Blackburn Market at around 12.10pm yesterday.

When he was found on a bus from Bolton, Mr Loram, 40, of Roe Lee, ran to the scene - the taxi rank outside the bus station - and embraced his son.

He said: "It was a wonderful moment to see him and hold him in my arms.

"So many things run through your mind in the hours when your child is missing.

"At this precise moment I can't even take in what's happened. I'm just so glad he's been found. This is every parent's worst nightmare."

Mr Loram said he wanted to "thank absolutely everybody who helped find Lee.

"Lancashire police especially who were wonderful, but everyone else too.

"When I arrived in Blackburn to start looking it seemed that everybody there was looking for my boy. I'm so grateful.

"I'm just so glad he's safe. He's back at home now playing, as if there's absolutely nothing wrong."

Mr Loram, a bus driver for Transdev, was on his round in Blackburn when he heard that his son was missing.

He rushed back to the town centre at around 3.45pm, and headed for The Mall shopping centre where it was rumoured Lee had been spotted.

Mr Loram said: "I rushed into the Mall, and a police officer came up with a picture of Lee and asked if I'd seen him. I told him I wish I had, because he's my son."

Mr Loram does not yet know which of his Transdev colleagues was driving the bus Lee boarded, but he said he will find out as son as he can, because "I would love to shake his hand".

Lee lives in Roe Lee with his mum, dad, brother Mark, and half-sister Jennifer, nine.

Lee's uncle has spoken of his relief after his nephew was found safe and well.

Howard Loram, a 36-year-old motor mechanic from Peronne Crescent, Intack, said: "It's great that he's okay.

"I can't believe he got on a bus on his own.

"It's pretty scary that he went all the way to Bolton.

"Lee is a really placid little boy and you'd never expect him to do something like this.

"He's never walked away from his parents before.

"Kelly is completely distraught. She's really upset at what's happened. It just shows you can't take your eyes off children even for a few seconds.

"When I think about Lee being on that bus it would have been catastrophic if he had just got off in Bolton, who knows what might've happened."

Mr Loram said he believed Lee had got on the bus and then fell asleep.