Attempted child abduction investigation launched

Thursday, 15 November 2018 07:00

Greater Manchester Police are investigating two incidents of suspected attempted child abduction in Bolton and Bury.

Shortly after 9.40pm on Monday 12 November, a 14-year-old girl was followed a short distance by a white Transit-style van with blacked-out side windows and a sliding door in Westhoughton.

Three people wearing balaclavas jumped from the van and chased her before she ran to safety at a nearby address.

The driver of the van was not wearing a balaclava and has been described as white and wearing a coat with a fur-lined hood.

Shortly after 3.40pm on Tuesday 13 November, two 11-year-olds in Radcliffe where approached by a similar van.

The van’s sliding door opened and a person in the van demanded the children get inside.

One of the people attempted to grab one of the children’s coats but missed, and the children ran off.

The driver in the second incident was described as white, with tanned or darker-shaded skin and aged between 30-40 years-old.

Greater Manchester Police are working to establish if both incidents are linked.

Chief Inspector Phil Spurgeon of GMP’s Bury Division said: “We understand the concern that incidents such as these causes.

“I’d like to reassure the community that we have detectives working on both incidents to establish if they are linked, and to identify the vehicles and occupants involved.

“It is absolutely essential that anyone with information on these two incidents contacts police as a matter of urgency.

“Perhaps you have seen a white van driving suspiciously in the Bolton or Bury area during the last few days.

“Even the smallest piece of information can be enough to help apprehend suspects and solve cases such as these.

“We would particularly like to appeal to a woman whom we believe witnessed the second incident in Radcliffe.”

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