Police have received six separate reports of “suspicious males” following an “attempted abduction” of a schoolgirl.
Greater Manchester Police were first called to reports of an unknown man and woman, who had travelled in a car and a van, “grabbing” an 11-year-old as she walked to school in Irlam at around 8.30am on Tuesday. The young girl was approached on Silver Street.
She was able to escape to safety and inform an adult, but parents were informed of a second incident hours later just three miles away in Urmston. Flixton Girls School said a man had “walked towards” a year seven pupil on nearby Bowfell Road, before “lunging” towards her and “staring” at her.
Police have now said they received six separate reports of “suspicious males” in the Trafford area, with local councillors warning communities are being “targeted”.
Urgent police probe launched as man and woman ‘tried to grab girl, 11, walking to school’
GMP was called to a second incident in Urmston on the same day
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According to Manchester Evening News, the six reports have been investigated by police, who have carried out CCTV enquiries and confirmed there was “no offending” in five of the incidents. One report of common assault is still being investigated.
The circumstances, descriptions, and ethnicities of those involved in each report differ, and police do not believe they are linked. Detective Superintendent Alicia Smith, Trafford’s lead for Vulnerability, said: “Protecting children is our top priority and we investigate safety concerns swiftly and with vigour.
“We understand concerns are being raised in the community and over social media. We have chaired a partnership meeting this afternoon, and are closely aligned with the local authority and schools in the area. We would like to remind members of the public to avoid spreading information online that may not be true.
“We encourage anyone with concerns to contact the school directly if it relates to them or report it to police on 101 and we will investigate. There will be an increase in neighbourhood officers patrolling around schools during key times to provide visible reassurance.”
The news comes following a warning from councillor Lewis Eric Nelson, who represents the Cadishead and Lower Irlam ward, who said there was “understandable alarm” following the incidents. He has urged residents to help police track down the perpetrators by handing over camera footage that they may have captured.
He said: “There is an understandable alarm in the community, and I’m extremely concerned that it seems our community is being targeted in this way. It cannot stand, and I urge the community to take reasonable precautions and have conversations with their children.
“Please do review any CCTV that may help the police with their investigations and report any information you may be aware of that could help the police in the usual way. Elected representatives will continue working closely with GMP to ensure our community is well serviced to protect us from those who seek to cause harm and arrest those responsible for the events of the last few days.
Greater Manchester Police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with the Irlam incident, with investigators seeking a 5ft9 clean shaven male with short dark hair and white woman who was wearing leggings and a black hoodie at the time of the incident.