A teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of the attempted rape of an eight-year-old girl in a park.
Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to Nuthurst Park in Moston just before 6.55pm on Saturday after reports the girl had been raped and the offender had been chased off by members of the public.
A boy, believed to be aged 14 or 15, was arrested in a nearby shop on suspicion of attempted rape and is being held for questioning.
The victim is being provided with support from specially trained officers.
Inspector Dave Whelan said: “I know this incident has understandably caused a lot of unrest in the local community, particularly among those who were in the nearby area at the time but I want to assure everybody that we have launched a full investigation.
“We treat all reports like this with the utmost seriousness and as such officers swiftly attended the scene and arrested a teenage boy within 16 minutes of the initial call coming in.
“We would like to thank the local community who assisted in our initial inquiries earlier today.
“Local residents may notice an increased police presence in the area so if you have any information about the incident or concerns that you wish to raise with officers, then I would encourage you to either approach them directly or call police.”
Anybody with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 1984 of 24/06/17, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.