On her first day at nursery school, Louise Hilton walked the half mile there and back hand-in-hand with her mother.

The two-year-old did the same on her second morning and so, when she later spotted an open door, had no hesitation in striking out for home by herself.

Braving busy roads, a roundabout, two subways and woods while narrowly avoiding a canal, the toddler made her way back from the privately run nursery.

On arriving home, she announced to her astonished mother Samantha O’Connor: ‘I have walked home on my own – aren’t I a big girl?’

No one noticed she had gone and no passer-by intervened even though her route took her past a busy pub.

Yesterday her father John Hilton, 30, said: ‘It is frightening to think what might have happened had the wrong person seen her.

‘There is a canal 50 yards from the house and she always tries to jump in and feed the ducks but cannot swim.

‘It’s so shocking that they cannot even notice she’s gone. Anything could have happened.’ Miss O’Connor, 26, took Louise on the 15-minute walk to Windmill Hill Nursery near their home in Runcorn, Cheshire, for the first time on Monday and again on Wednesday.

At 2pm, there was a knock at the door when Mr Hilton, who delivers cars for a living, was also at home.

‘We were stunned to see our little Louise standing there,’ Miss O’Connor said. ‘She was banging on the door shouting “Mummy, Mummy, I’m home!” Anything could have happened to her.’

Louise is believed to have slipped through a fire door left open by workmen and then security gates after being allowed to go to the toilet by herself.

Her parents, who are expecting their second child in February, said they have not received an explanation or apology and will not be sending Louise back.

‘I want them to feel sickened to the stomach like I did,’ said Miss O’Connor. ‘We could have been dealing with a tragedy. Thank God she made it home safely.’

Mr Hilton said he was also appalled that no passer-by had intervened but added that Louise has not been told off.

‘She doesn’t know she’s done wrong,’ he said. ‘I give her ten out of ten for initiative and getting home safely because I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d lost her.’

The nursery declined to comment yesterday but Ofsted is investigating. Inspectors have previously praised it for its wide range of activities and ‘effective’ policies to safeguard children.

Cheshire Police looked into the matter and said it has been referred to the local authority.

Read more:  Daily Mail