Spanish police have said reports the seven-year-old boy with dual British and Australian citizenship missing after the attack in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas had been found, are false.
A Spanish newspaper said Julian Cadman had been found alive in hospital but this was later contradicted by Catalonian authorities.
Some publications published the initial reports, some of which were shared thousands of times on social media before being changed.
Cadman, who was born in Tunbridge Wells in Kent, was separated from his mother Jom, who was seriously injured and is being treated in hospital.
Mother and son, who are now based in Australia with Julian’s Australian father Andrew Cadman, and had been visiting Barcelona to attend a family wedding.
Prime Minister Theresa May had said the British government was “urgently” looking into reports of a British dual nationality child missing following the attacks.
A family friend known only as Scott told 2GB radio host Ben Fordham Julian’s father first heard about the attack when he arrived at work on Friday morning and was unable to get into contact with his wife.
“He turned up to work this morning, turned the news on this morning at 6 o’clock, heard about it, tried to ring his Mrs, couldn’t get hold of her,” he said.