HEYSHAM parents concerned about reports that a suspected child abductor was approaching their children were relieved by the findings of on-going police investiations this week.

A special police investiation team was established recently to look into incidents reported by the children.

Police feared the incidents were linked but after the extensive investigation they are convinced they were not. But enquiries are on-going into a number of separate incidents. One involved a nine-year-old girl who fled from two abductors last month.

After the incidents parents had been told to take and pick up their children to and from the primary schools and not allow them to leave the school gates. Police cars patrolled the schools every day as the children entered and left.

One Heysham mother said: "Hearing this is a big relief. It was very frightening and it's good news to hear they were not linked. But there's still these single cases. You just can't be too careful and we will continue to take no risks."

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Green, who led the team, said: "We have thoroughly investigated each incident and can say that there are no connections between any of them. Our investigations did identify that a number of incidents were not exactly how they appeared at first. In such cases we have involved the respective parents and school representatives. Enquiries are continuing into a number of other individual reports which are not linked.

Commander of Lancaster and Morecambe Police John Thompson had called in members of the senior investigating officers team to independently review the situation. He said police wanted to assure the public that all such reports were taken seriously. He added: "It is every parent's nightmare that their child is approached by a stranger. We take these matters very seriously and spare no effort in their investigation. It is everybody's responsibility to be vigilant and to report anything suspicious to the police."

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