Strangers raise £3,000 for mum on the run with two sons aged nine and six

Strangers have donated thousands of pounds to a mother who has gone on the run with her two sons.

Nearly £3,000 has so far been raised for Samantha Baldwin, who disappeared with Louis and Dylan Made, aged nine and six, after the children were made wards of the Court at a recent hearing.

Police say Samantha, who is now wanted for child abduction, “poses a risk” to the children.

However, money has poured in to the Justgiving page set up by Rebecca Anlauf to help pay for the mother’s legal fees.

The page reads: “Those of us who know Samantha, know that she is a kind and caring person, and we also know the circumstances leading to her taking the drastic action of disappearing.”

Rebecca added: “As her friends we have come together to try to raise both awareness and funds, to assist with the legal fees she will face when she defends her actions in the courts.

“This family have been through enough. Please help.”

Rebecca insists the money is to help cover legal fees and not to assist Samantha in evading the police.

Samantha is described as being 5ft 7ins of a slim build with shoulder length blonde hair and green/blue eyes.

She was last seen wearing a red knee-length coat from Mango but may have changed her clothing since.

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Louis is described as having collar-length straight fair hair, a fair complexion and blue eyes, while Dylan has having collar-length straight dark brown hair, a tanned complexion and brown eyes.

Officers do not have a description of the clothing the boys were last seen wearing.

The family, who are from Newark, have connections to both Lincolnshire and Manchester and may have travelled there after they were last seen.

They were last seen in Nottingham city centre after vanishing last Monday.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “We do not wish to comment on the [JustGiving] website.

“Our focus is on finding the boys and returning them safely to the custody of the court.”

Superintendent Rich Fretwell added: “We are concerned that Samantha poses a risk to the boys and we have a 100 strong team of officers working around the clock to trace her and return the children safely.

“Enquiries are across the length and breadth of the country because we have absolutely no idea where she is. She is playing hide and seek.

“There’s always the possibility that Samantha could be being harboured by someone. We would urge that person to come forward and let us know where the boys are.

“We would also like to appeal to anyone who owns or runs a guest house, B&B or hotel to check your registers and be mindful that the group may be staying under a different name.

“We would also ask caravan park operators and holiday let properties to think about any groups that have joined them since Monday.

“We cannot stress enough the likelihood that Samantha may have changed her appearance, and the appearance of the boys, and we would like you to keep an open mind.”

A 62-year-old woman and 36-year woman, thought to be relatives of Samantha’s, were arrested after her disappearance on suspicion of assisting an offender.

They have since been released on bail.

Top pic: SWNS