An 11-year-old British-Asian schoolboy triggered a missing persons investigation after he hid in an IKEA store overnight in England as part of an online craze.
Kaden Mirza, believed to be of Pakistani-origin, was reported missing on Tuesday after failing to return from school and was found only the next day after a night in IKEA's Sheffield store.
His father Abid Mirza is now using the incident to raise awareness against the "Stay in Ikea overnight and not get caught challenge".
"We've been through a very hard time," he said.
In a post on social media, he warned other parents to check their children's browsing history to see if they have been viewing such videos. He is also calling on shoppers to report lone children in stores, particularly after school.
South Yorkshire Police said the craze was dangerous and could even be "catastrophic".
Detective Inspector Anna Sedgwick from South Yorkshire Police said youngsters saw the internet craze which involves hiding in large stores overnight as "a bit of fun".
"However, the risks and harm that could be caused are by no means humorous and could be catastrophic," she said.
She added: "Warehouses and shopping departments contain large quantities of heavy stock and items that could easily fall and crush someone if they are moved incorrectly, or used to build makeshift forts.
"There is also the potential risk of electrical faults and fires, which could have devastating consequences".
In a statement, IKEA said: "The safety and security of our customers is one of our highest priorities. We are constantly reviewing our security procedures to better prevent these incidents from happening".
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
