Man tries to abduct an eight-year-old boy

At about 7pm on Monday 24 March 2008, a young boy was walking along Sherbourne Drive in Heywood when he saw a masked man dressed in black clothing.

Frightened, the young boy started to run away but the offender grabbed the child at the turning of Witham Close and picked him up by the waist. The child kicked out and managed to struggle free before running off and raising the alarm.

It is believed a man was out walking his dog at the time who may have seen the incident, and police are appealing to this person to come forward.

The offender is described as being in his his late teens or early 20s and wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans, a black belt with a silver buckle, a black zip-up top and workman-like boots that made a booming sound when the offender ran. The offender's face was completely covered by a black hood with a pointy tip and had facial hair on his chin. He was also said to have white paint on him.

A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted child abduction but was released without charge.

Detective Inspector Daryl Chadwick, from Rochdale CID, said: "At this stage, we have not established the motive for this incident, which has clearly left the young boy and his family very upset.

"Inquiries are ongoing to trace the offender and we would particularly like to hear from a man who we believe was out walking his dog in the area at about the time of the incident.

"I would like to reassure the community that this is being treated as an isolated incident and I do not want to cause any alarm among parents. I would however like to remind parents and young people to take heed of a few safety tips such as not walking home alone, keeping to well lit areas and avoiding shortcuts."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Rochdale CID on 0161 856 4646 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

General safety tips:

• Keep to well lit and busy areas, avoid shortcuts 
• Stick with friends 
• Plan how you are going to get home 
• Be aware of your surroundings 
• Make sure someone knows where you are and what time you are due home 
• Carry a personal attack alarm