Attempted child abduction in Alnwick a hoax, say police

At around 3.35pm on Wednesday, police received a report of an incident on Swansfield Park Road.

A child alleged that an unknown adult male had grabbed them by the wrist and tried to lead them away. The incident was reported to police by a concerned family member.

However, the individual concerned has since confirmed to police that this was a false report and that no such incident had occurred.

Officers are now liaising with the child and their family.

Detective Constable Philip Nelson, of Northumbria Police, said: “We take every report we receive extremely seriously and this hoax proved to be an unnecessary and unwelcome distraction for our officers that were dealing with genuine crimes.

“I would ask parents to speak to their children about the seriousness and dangers of making false reports or hoax calls. Youngsters may see it as a practical joke, but in doing so, they may be endangering other people’s lives.”

Following the fake report, police are seeking to reassure the community. However, residents in the area with any concerns are asked to contact a nearby officer, or contact 101 quoting reference 729 120918.