A NIGHTMARE before Christmas landed a Winsford boy in hospital.

The 12-year-old, dressed only in his underwear, climbed out of bed and left his home in Weaver Street just after midnight on Christmas Eve.

An appeal was put out every 20 minutes through Century Radio and after neighbours were alerted they joined the search.

Police said he had not gone far but had been missing for three hours before he was found in some undergrowth by the neighbours.

A police spokesman added: "The boy needed hospital treatment but he is all right in spite of his experience.

"It seems he has been suffering from bad dreams and nightmares recently and had run from the house still in the stages of a nightmare.

"We were obviously very concerned about him because it was extremely cold, but he was found within three hours not far from the property."

Police also joined the search for the youngster throughout the early hours of Sunday, December 24, in freezing conditions.

The boy was later taken to Leighton Hospital with a minor cut and suffering from the severe effects of the cold.

A police spokesman added: "The hospital was also keen to keep him in for observation to better understand the cause of the nightmares because he had been having them previously."

Police said that the boy's family did not want to comment on the incident and the boy's name has not been released.