Police in Greater Manchester have warned people not to get distracted by their mobile phones or music while walking alone, after a spate of reports of attempted abductions involving a white van.
However, officers also urged people not to view all white van drivers with suspicion, as the vast majority are “involved in normal work and leisure activities”.
Police revealed they have received numerous reports of a white van acting in suspicious circumstances and being involved in attempts to abduct pedestrians.
The incidents are believed to relate to the Wigan area but officers in Leigh, Atherton and Hindley say such incidents are being mirrored across the whole of Greater Manchester, with widespread reports of similar offences.
In a post on Facebook, GMP Leigh, Atherton and Hindley stated that while no one had actually been abducted, they would urge people to stay vigilant at all times and avoid walking alone if at all possible.
The post also stated that there was a “massive amount”of information being shared across social media about such activity and stressed the important of reporting such matters to the police.
The post said: “Locally, we have received reports of a white van acting in suspicious circumstances and being involved in attempts to abduct pedestrians. These matters are currently under investigation.
“Such reports are being mirrored across the whole of the Greater Manchester area.
“Remain vigilant at all times and please report any suspicious activity to the POLICE – we can’t act if we don’t know about it.
“If possible, make sure family and/or friends are with you when you are making journeys on foot. When this is not possible, make sure that you keep in touch with friends or family to let them know when you have arrived safely at your destination.
“Remain conscious of your surroundings and try to avoid being distracted by your phone/listening to music.”
The post went on: “It is important to note that at this time, no person has actually been abducted”, before adding: “There are thousands of white vans in use across our communities and the vast majority of these are involved in normal work and leisure activities and should not be viewed with suspicion simply because of the type of vehicle they are.
“Should your suspicions be raised, please contact the police and allow us to take appropriate action rather than taking matters into your own hands.”
When approached by HuffPost UK, a spokesman from GMP said: “A post on the Leigh, Atherton and Hindley Facebook page referenced a number of reports police have received in relation to white vans driving suspiciously.
“These reports have all been fully investigated and while they were made in good faith, enquiries have established that no crimes were committed, no-one was grabbed and no injuries have been reported.
“We will continue to treat reports of this nature extremely seriously and would urge anyone with any concerns to call police on 101, or Crimestoppers.”