The children arrived at Bishopsgate police station at about 3am on Saturday asking for a taxi home . On nightshifts at his police station, Superintendent Paul Clements is used to dealing with the usual collection of drunks and other ne’er do wells. But he was surprised when three Romanian children arrived at the central London police station at 3am and said they were 130 miles from home. The children, aged 12, 14 and 17, told officers they lived with their parents in Nottingham and then asked for a taxi home and a meal from McDonalds. Instead, officers bought the youngsters sandwiches from a nearby petrol station and called social services to care for them. They also called the children’s parents who immediately travelled from the family home in Nottingham to pick them up. It remains unclear how the children managed to travel to London or how they were able to leave their home without their parents noticing. Details of the visitors to Bishopsgate police station, near Liverpool Street Station, emerged when Mr Clements described the incident on Twitter yesterday. He wrote: ‘Bizarre night shift. 3am and in walk three Romanian children from Nottingham with no money or ID asking for a taxi back home and a McDonalds.’ The children were found roaming the streets in the early hours by officers of City of London Police. They were not treated as criminals and at no time were they put in the cells. Superintendent Paul Clements took to Twitter to let his followers know about his strange night . The number of Romanian immigrants begging and sleeping rough in some of the wealthiest areas of the capital has trebled since EU restrictions on movement were lifted in January 2014. It is reported to have led to a spate of aggressive begging, pickpocketing and prostitution, which is blighting exclusive London addresses.
The children were found roaming the streets in the early hours by officers . Asked surprised officer for a taxi home to Nottingham - and a McDonalds . It is unclear how the 12, 14, and 17-year-old made the 130 mile journey . They were not treated as criminals and at no time were they put in the cells .