White-van ‘incidents’ around local schools

PEOPLE are being warned to be vigilant after a man attempted to lure pupils as young as six into a white van.

Police have received three reports of incidents which took place within 2.5 miles of each other in Saddleworth.

The latest happened at 8.25am on Tuesday when a man told a six-year-old boy to get into his white van in Delph Lane. The Delph Primary School pupil refused and the man drove off in the vehicle which was splattered with mud.

A girl from Saddleworth School, believed to be aged 13, was also told by a man in his 30s to get into his van in Pickhill Lane, Uppermill, at around 3.15pm on February 4.

Five days earlier, January 30, a 14-year-old boy from Saddleworth School reported that a man in a white van had looked suspiciously at him in the High Street, Uppermill.

Police are investigating if the incidents are linked, but stressed that the man did not grab a hold of any of the children.

Saddleworth School head teacher Patricia Cornish said pupils, parents and primary schools had been altered in-line with the local authority’s School Safe warning programme to flag up suspicious incidents.

Neighbourhood inspector Danny Milovanovic added: “I do not want to cause any unnecessary panic as there have been just a handful of incidents and inquiries are at an early stage.

“The children did right exactly the right thing and refused to get into the man’s van.”

If you see anyone acting suspiciously, call the police. Anyone with information should call Saddleworth police on 0161 856 8993 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.