Girl, 7, grabbed by man in street

A seven-year-old girl was grabbed by a man as she walked along a street, who tried to lure her away with the promise of seeing some puppies, police said today.

The attempted abduction happened on Saturday afternoon in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

The man is described as black, of a large build, and was wearing black clothes and a woolly hat.

He seized the girl as she walked on Springwood Crescent, Romiley, and turned her towards a parked van, while asking if she wanted to see some puppies.

But the youngster noticed another man sitting in the driving seat of the van and she ran away from the scene.

The driver is described as being black, of very slim build and was wearing a yellow T-shirt with a collar.

The only description of the van is that it had a cage in the back, police said.

Detective Constable David Wheatley, of Stockport Police, said the young girl had been left "quite scared" by the incident.

He said: "I would like to hear from anyone that may recognise the description of these men, or who was in the area on that warm, sunny afternoon.

"It is an incident which has left this young victim feeling quite scared, but I do not want to cause any undue concern in the community.

"I would like to reassure parents this is being treated as an isolated incident.

"However, we would ask that people, particularly young girls, follow a few simple safety tips such as walking in groups and avoiding shortcuts."

Anyone with any information should call Stockport CID on 0161 856 9755, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.