Investigation finished after reports of man approaching kids in Springhill

Enquiries into a report of a man approaching two boys in the Springhill area of Aberdeen have concluded.

Inspector David Cowie explains: “Following our appeal on social media regarding the incident that was reported on Saturday, July 14, 2018, the man who we wished to speak to saw our appeal and contacted police himself.

"Our enquiries have established that there was no criminal intention and it was a simple case of mistaken identity. We are therefore fully satisfied that no criminality has taken place.

“I would again like to reassure people that the vast majority of reports we receive are often found to be innocent and borne out of people simply having the best interests of children at heart - it is extremely rare that a person will have sinister intentions.

“With social media so integral in our lives these days it is all too easy to fear the worst and post about instances where a person a child doesn’t know speaks to them. There have been a number of such posts recently which then get shared hundreds of times and raises fear among parents across the North East that their children are not safe to play outside.

“I would ask parents to please be aware of the wider implications social media posts can have and how in a genuine incident, they could hamper an investigation at an early stage.

“If any parent has any concerns about people their children have come into contact with, I would urge them to contact police in the first instance rather than post on social media.

"Where parents see posts such as this I would recommend that they check the North East Division Facebook page and share any appeals that we make. "

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their assistance in sharing our original post and for their assistance in helping to bring this matter to a swift conclusion."