Missing 11-year-old boy located

An 11-year-old Christchurch runaway missing for two weeks has been found safe and well.

Police were notified about 9.30pm yesterday night of the whereabouts of Ben Crafts, Senior Sergeant Grant Wormald of Christchurch Police said today.

Mr Wormald said it was believed Ben had been cared for in the past two weeks by a woman who was not a family member but whom he knew.

Publicity from police led to his whereabouts being reported last night, he said.

"We understand the lady who had been looking after him had dropped him off at another friend's place and we were contacted from there," he said.

The boy had been missing from Christchurch's Kingslea Residential Centre in suburban Shirley since April 13, after running from a social worker while on a counselling appointment in the central city.

The boy is the son of Daniel McNally, who attacked former Christian Heritage Party leader Graham Capill outside Christchurch District Court last month although the two are understood not to have been in contact for years.

- NZPA