Four arrests after men seen coaxing girls into car in Gilberdyke

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of trying to kidnap children after several young girls were urged to get into a car.

Humberside Police said officers were called to two incidents in Gilberdyke, East Yorkshire, on Wednesday evening, 26 June.

In the first incident a vehicle approached a group of three young girls in the Scalby Lane area and asked them to get in.

One of the girls called her parents who came to collect them.

The force then received a separate call reporting a group of men who had been "behaving suspiciously" towards two nine-year-old girls outside a shop.

A passerby intervened, allowing the girls to get away on their bikes.Four men, aged between 30 and 39, were later arrested on suspicion of attempted child abduction.

One of the 39-year-old men was also arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with another incident.

Det Insp Samantha Chester said: “I understand incidents of this nature will cause alarm amongst the local community, and I would like to offer my reassurance that we always treat this type of report incredibly seriously.

“I’d like to thank the member of the public who intervened when they spotted the men acting suspiciously towards the girls, allowing them to leave the area safely on their bikes as well as the parents who called it in to us."

She added: “Local residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area as extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances around the incidents."

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