Four men arrested in connection with attempted kidnap of 13 year old girl

The girl was approached by two men in a van in Ripon, North Yorkshire

Fountains Abbey, Ripon, North Yorkshire

Four men have been arrested in connection with the attempted kidnap of a 13-year-old girl said to have been approached by two people in a van.

North Yorkshire Police said the alleged abduction attempt happened in Ripon, on Thursday.

Officers said they were called at about 3.15pm to reports that the teenager had been approached by two men in a white van in Clotherholme Road.

A spokesman said: "Officers immediately began a search of the area. At about 4.20pm, a white Ford Transit van was stopped on the A61."

Officers from North Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Group tweeted that they stopped the van near the village of Harewood.

He said the four men in the vehicle - aged 36, 26, 22 and 20 and from the West Yorkshire area - were arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnap and conspiracy to kidnap. They remain in police custody.

The spokesman said: "Officers are investigating whether this incident is linked to a separate report involving a 10-year-old boy on Lead Lane, Ripon, on Saturday September 12.

"Police have increased patrols in the Ripon area to provide reassurance to local communities."

Police are appealing for anyone with information about either alleged attempted kidnapping to come forward.

Additional reporting by Press Association