Manhunt launched after six-year-old girl ‘abducted and taken into woods’ in Greater Manchester

A manhunt is under way after a six-year-old girl was reportedly abducted and sexually assaulted in Droylsden.

Officers believe the girl was abducted by a man on Warne Avenue at around 4pm on Wednesday, 17 August.

She was taken to a wooded area near a disused railway track, towards Manchester Road, where she was attacked.

The girl was then left in the woods, and found her own way to a nearby park.

She was reunited with her family shortly after - with police searching for her kidnapper.

Superintendent Richard Hunt says the child is helping police with their inquiries and "doing a really good job".

A 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of abduction and sexual assault has been released without charge.

Detectives say he was not the man captured in the CCTV image and he is helping with enquiries.

But Greater Manchester Police say a search is continuing regarding the whereabouts of the second man said to have been acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the incident.

Detectives, who said enquiries are ongoing amid a large police presence in the area, have issued three pictures of the second man they urgently want to quiz.

The first image was captured moments after the reported abduction, while the second and third are from around 30 minutes later, police said.

In the latter, the man appears to be wearing his jacket around his waist in Gainsborough Road as he heads towards The Snipe.

Anyone who sees him has been told to call 999.

Superintendent Richard Hunt added: “This incident started on a grassed area between Warne Avenue and Hawthorn Road in Droylsden at around 4pm.

“From this green area is a path leading to a football field, and that is between Heron Drive and Brendon Drive.

“We suspect that the offender walked with the child across this area where we believe he sexually assaulted her.

“The offender appears to have been hanging around the area prior to the offence and afterwards he made his way through the paths and streets of the Snipe Estate possibly in the direction of Openshaw.

“You will have seen footage in the press and if you haven’t, can I please ask you to look at these images to try and identify the person, who we are keen to speak to.”

Members of the public are urged to check their CCTV, dashcam and doorbell footage for video that might assist the investigation.

Parents have been advised by police to be extra vigilant while they try to identify the man in question.

Superintendent Hunt added: “Obviously we are keen to speak to this male, described in the footage. He is a white man, aged in his 20s, dark trousers, a dark jacket, which at one point was worn around his waist and dark shoes or trainers, we can’t say for certain, with a white rim around the sole."

The public have also been told not to speculate on social media and that said extra police officers are patrolling the area.

"A child was playing in this area and chap who was hanging around has taken her", he said.

"Parents just need to consider what I've mentioned and I would suggest that they need to be extra vigilant with their children whilst we progress this as quickly as possible."