According to the Drogheda Independent, the problem only came to light when the creche, which had been expecting the new child minder to arrive, phoned the mother half an hour after the usual collection time to inform her that the child was still waiting to be picked up.

The mother phoned her new childminder, who told her that she had the child but it quickly became apparent that she had picked up the wrong child from the wrong creche.

The report said the childminder had not met her charge before, and while she knew his name, she didn't know what he looked like.

The children were quickly reunited with the right childminder and parents, although all were said to be upset about the mix-up.

The manager of the nursery said that it was a misunderstanding and it was sorted out with the parents.

Meanwhile, the same newspaper reported that a fouryear-old boy was left for hours in a locked bus after he wasn't dropped off at his after-school care close to Drogheda.

The driver didn't notice him at the back of the bus when he was finished his rounds and the little boy was later found asleep in the locked bus.

Searchers, who had been looking for him for some hours, said the boy wasn't upset at being left behind. He told his mother that "I knew you would come for me, Mammy" when adults unlocked the doors of the bus.