PARENTS have been reassured after a hoax Facebook message was spread about suspicious activity in Whitworth.

Reports of a car circling the area and acting suspiciously had been spread on the social networking site.

Police responded to the false rumours by visiting schools.

PCSO Heidi Kirkbright said: “People should be vigilant, but there is absolutely no reports to substantiate the rumours.

“There have been no calls to the police from parents about their children being approached.”

Earlier this month, police moved to reassure people in Blackburn after rumours of an attempted kidnap spread across Facebook.

And in February, a pair of teenage girls were responsible for a hoax suicide report which saw over 2,000 people posting tribute comments on Facebook.