A child was reportedly ‘grabbed by the throat’ near to a school in Sale on Thursday (January 16). An alert was sent out by a local school following the reported incident on Broad Road.
A notice, appearing to have been sent to parents and carers from Moorlands Junior School said it had been informed that the child had been ‘grabbed’ by a stranger as they were walking home.
The alert was also sent out from nearby St Anne’s CofE school to parents with children following the incident, in which the police were also reportedly informed.
It comes after Greater Manchester Police revealed on Thursday that they had received reports of six ‘suspicious males’ in the Trafford area this week. Five of the reports later proved to have not been criminal.
The alert, which warned parents of the dangers and urged them to pick children up and drop them off at the school gates, read: “We have just been informed of a very nasty incident where a stranger has grabbed hold of one of our children by the throat, on Broad Road, as they were walking home. This was unprovoked.
An alert was sent to parents
“This has been reported to the police. Can I please suggest that all children are dropped off at and picked up from school tomorrow whilst Investigations are ongoing.
“The child concerned is safe but quite shook up. Thank you to the parents that intervened and got them home safely.”
A notice from St Anne’s primary, emailed to parents on Thursday night, read: “I do not wish to cause panic in our community but would highly recommend that you think carefully about arrangements for walking to and from school; especially if your child walks without an adult.
“I urge everyone to remain vigilant and remind children to always be cautious around unfamiliar individuals. Please talk to your child about the importance of staying in groups, not accepting rides or communication from strangers, and reporting any suspicious activity to a trusted adult.”
Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for a statement on the incident.
Investigations are still underway following the ‘attempted abduction’ of an 11-year-old girl as she walked to school in Irlam on Tuesday (January 14).
Officers were first called to reports of an unknown man and woman, who had travelled in a car and a van, ‘grabbing’ an 11-year-old as she walked to school in Irlam at around 8.30am.
Greater Manchester Police are continuing to hunt two suspects following the ‘attempted abduction’, in which the young girl was approached and ‘grabbed’ on Silver Street.
The male is described as white, approx. 5ft 9 in. tall, with short dark hair. He was described as clean-shaven and wearing blue jeans and a black hoodie. The female is described as white, and wearing leggings and a black hoodie. The car is described as a black four-door vehicle, while the van was small, white, looking new and with a sliding door.
You can pass information via 101 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1205 of 14/01/25. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.