Four men arrested after reports of young girls being approached in Gilberdyke
An increased police presence is expected in the area
Four men have been arrested following reports of two incidents in the Scalby Lane area of Gilberdyke at around 7.30pm yesterday evening.
Humberside Police say they were called to reports that men in a vehicle had approached three young girls and asked them to get in the vehicle. One of the girls called her parents who came to collect the children.
Police then had a further call from a different person reporting that a group of men had been behaving suspiciously towards two 9-year-old girls outside a shop. A passerby intervened and the girls were able to leave safely.
Enquiries were carried out and four men (aged 39, 39, 31 and 30) were arrested on suspicion of attempted child abduction a short time later in connection with the reports.
One of the 39-year-old men was also arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with another incident.
Detective Inspector 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.
“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.
“I would appeal to anyone with information that may assist with our enquiries, or has dashcam or CCTV footage from the area around the time the incidents occurred, to please contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference 24*89645."