Police working with community following abduction allegations

Police in Heywood and Middleton are working hard to reassure residents after rumours about attempted abductions have triggered a number of allegations.

After detailed enquiries, officers have not found any evidence of any of the incidents taking place.

Since Saturday 21 September 2013, there have been six separate reports of children being approached by suspicious men.

Some of the reports state that a man was in a car which approached children suspiciously, and in other cases the allegation is that an attempted abduction took place.

As well as reports into the police via parents or teachers, officers have also found a number of rumours on social media.

Detective Sergeant Diane Johnson said: "While we are always grateful for information from members of the public which we will always act on, we do not feel there is any substance to any of these reports.

"I would like to reassure people that we have fully pursued all allegations, but despite this we cannot find any evidence that criminal offences have taken place.

"We understand that these reports have been made with the best of intentions, but we suspect that now an urban myth has taken hold and it is important for us to address that.

"Our officers are speaking to members of the public and schools to help deliver this message and make it clear to them that we are always on hand to help."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 856 8701 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.