Rumours of attempted abductions of young girls in Heywood and Middleton have prompted a police investigation – yet no evidence of any incidents was found.
Since Saturday there have been six reports of children being approached by suspicious men with one rumour stating that a man was in a car which approached children and in other cases the allegation is that an attempted abduction took place.
A number of rumours have also circulated on social networking site as well as reports through parents and teachers.
Detective Sergeant Diane Johnson said: “While we are always grateful for information from members of the public which we will always act on, we do not feel there is any substance to any of these reports.
“I would like to reassure people that we have fully pursued all allegations, but despite this we cannot find any evidence that criminal offences have taken place.
“We understand that these reports have been made with the best of intentions, but we suspect that now an urban myth has taken hold and it is important for us to address that.
“Our officers are speaking to members of the public as well as schools to help deliver this message and make it clear to them that we are always on hand to help.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 856 8701 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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