Schools have been put on alert as police investigate a spate of child abduction bids.
Four attempts have been made to snatch children in just nine days. Police do NOT believe the incidents are linked.
But today they appealed for calm after worried parents set up a ‘Keep Our Kids Safe’ Facebook page on the internet. And education bosses have issued a warning to schools in the affected area.
Officers have received 23 calls from concerned parents since the first incident was reported less than a fortnight agao.
was reported less than a fortnight ago. The abduction bids have all taken place in
Stockport. Most of the remaining calls were to report men acting suspiciously – such as driving slowly down streets where children were playing.
Chief Inspector Steve Dix said: "As a parent I fully understand the concern that residents are feeling following the reported incidents, however I now want to appeal for calm.
"Every call that has come into us has been thoroughly and robustly investigated and I want to reassure residents there is nothing whatsoever to link any of the incidents. We have spoken to schools and neighbourhood policing teams and have made appeals through the media.
"This has clearly heightened people’s concerns but I would urge them to let their children out to play in exactly the same way they would have done a fortnight or so ago.
"People at the moment think there is a predatory individual on the loose in Stockport, we are certain that is not the case.
"There is no reason for parents to impose lock down, we would encourage them not to panic. There is a significant number of events being reported to us where normally people wouldn’t bat an eye lid but are now starting to perceive as a potential threat."
Pupils at Romiley Primary School were given a letter to take home after the first incident on Saturday, June 26, when a seven-year-old girl was grabbed from behind by a man as she walked along Springwood Crescent on the Cherry Tree estate.
He turned her towards a parked van and asked her if she wanted to see some puppies but she managed to run off.
Two days later a man in a silver BMW grabbed an eight-year-old boy at Brinnington health centre and asked him whether he wanted to buy a Nintendo DS. The boy broke free and rode off.
Two days after that, on Wednesday, June 30, a man approached a 10-year-old girl on Wesley Street, Hazel Grove and asked her whether she wanted to see some puppies. The girl, ran off. Then on Thursday, July 1, a man approached a seven-year-old boy on Coleridge Road, Reddish, and asked if he wanted some sweets.
The boy tried to run off but the man grabbed him. The boy managed to struggle free and ran home.
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Sweets and puppies? Bit cliched isn't it?
One attempt abduction is bad enough but four! I haven't seen any police 'on the beat'. These may not be related but something is definately going on. While the children are at school all day they are safe but it is nearly the summer holidays and they are going to be out everyday. Do we have to wait for a child to actually be taken before things are done about it. I have heard many rumours about attempt abductions over the last week and thankfully they are just that but obviously these four are not.
"Sweets and puppies? Bit cliched isn't it? "
My thoughts exactly.
"People at the moment think there is a predatory individual on the loose in Stockport, we are certain that is not the case."
Is it not worse that there are several predators on the loose?
It may be a bit cliched but these are young children - sweets puppies DS's thats what little kids like and they dont think like us and could actually believe these men
"Most of the remaining calls were to report men acting suspiciously – such as driving slowly down streets where children were playing."
hang on- that's what I do because children are far, far, far more at risk of being killed or injured by traffic than the risk they face by stranger danger or abduction.
[quote name=anon1, bredbury]It may be a bit cliched but these are young children - sweets puppies DS's thats what little kids like and they dont think like us and could actually believe these men[/quote]
I could not agree more, this beast is preying on the most innocent in society and there's a reason these tricks have become a cliche , its because they are used.
We could do with some descriptions of the person or persons involved and also of any vehicle. Not for a witch hunt but as some one lives next door to whoever is up to this any this needs to end before the worst happens.
im running this group (keeping kids safe) an if it wasnt for success of us all i dont think it would of been acknowledged so im glad its in the papers cos we now have the appropriate information which is what we were waiting for, now we are just waiting for these to be caught
I don't think people are getting the tongue in cheek comments ;-)
[quote name=Higgs Boson, Greater Manchester]"Most of the remaining calls were to report men acting suspiciously – such as driving slowly down streets where children were playing."
hang on- that's what I do because children are far, far, far more at risk of being killed or injured by traffic than the risk they face by stranger danger or abduction.[/quote]
My thoughts exactley! What would the parents prefer, drivers speeding down the road with their eyes closed?
I live in Reddish and my daughter goes to school and plays near Coleridge Road. I am absolutely disgusted that it's taken this long for the latest 2 attempts to be confirmed! Parents NEED to be told about these things straight away, children's lives could be at risk here!
I agree. If genuine reports were confirmed a lot sooner we would know which were rumours and which were not - the police obviously withhold information but they need to get more out there. People do slow down in cars where children are about which was happening before all this its just that parents are worried - it is every parents worst nightmare for their child to be taken!
As ever the community acts as eyes and ears for criminal activity,yet with so few police officers on the beat, I can't understand the logic behind "hanging on" to potentially lifesaving information rather than sharing it with the public.
It would seem that the police are more interested in managing the public perception of crime lest it interferes with statistics,rather than keeping our communities safe.
Stockport. Most of the remaining calls were to report men acting suspiciously – such as driving slowly down streets where children were playing
Am I reading that correctly? Aren't people told to drive slowly where children are playing. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I'm not saying they may be no risks but that doesn't mean the drivers are predators
Why is the report written in such a way as to reassure that the incidents aren't linked? The fact they aren't linked is even more cause for concern if various unrelated sickos are all independantly deciding to take to the streets in a bid to snatch kids.
I think its because most of the calls are like the story suggests, people being overly suspicious and ringing the police.
i just hope that this man or men are caught soon and that they are dealt with severley,but there is something in the manner of these incidents that suggests that this/these predators are experienced in their approach and have quite likely been found guilty of similar offences in the past.these kind of people cannot be"cured" are not treatable but get lower sentances than people who have not say paid their tax.crime against children should be treated in the same light as murder.and as a member of the public if i caught them i am not sure if i would be able to restrain myself from the damage that i would like to inflict on them.
Time to bring back the "Charlie Says" adverts that were popular in the 70'2 and 80's. they certainly made a lasting impression on me and many others. They also educated children on their level.......
Hey Mr in the BMW, how would you like me to hit you over the head with the Nintendo for starters.
I have seen the scaremongering on Facebook over the last 2 weeks, this went from a genuine abduction attempt to a different one every day, people talk, chinese whispers, and as the article says people reporting people driving slowly where children are playing. Who doesn't do that?
I am all for keeping kids safe but think this can and is counter productive.
[quote name=whistlingdixy]I have seen the scaremongering on Facebook over the last 2 weeks, this went from a genuine abduction attempt to a different one every day, people talk, chinese whispers, and as the article says people reporting people driving slowly where children are playing. Who doesn't do that?
I am all for keeping kids safe but think this can and is counter productive.[/quote]
the group was made on friday
Don't tell me these events are not connected! That would mean there were several dangerous men on the loose in Stockport all at the same time. I've heard of more attempts that have not yet been reported and that a similar description of a suspect in a particular type of vehicle keeps coming up. This person must be local, why aren't the police out there stopping vehicles of that type with person of that description in? Does a child actually have to be abducted first? As a parent, I am very concerned.
Most of the remaining calls were to report men acting suspiciously – such as driving slowly down streets where children were playing,,Erm, excuse me, but I always thought that was the sensible thing to do.
In furure I might be tempted to scream down the road doing 50 lest I be reported as a potential paedo.
It's all very well for them to say let your children play out as normal. So far, these have been "attempts", but how long will it be before a child is taken? I mean, they seem no nearer catching anyone than they were two weeks ago are they? No normal parent would so willingly let their child play out, knowing that such vile people like these could be lurking at the end of the road. As for rumour mongering etc, even the official notifications are at odds with each other. I have read here that there are 4 cases and have had an official text from my daughter's high school today to confirm there are 3!!!
A facebook page objecting to it will stop him and teach him a lesson!
I was thinking of chopping his doo-dahs off but the facebook page is much worse!