Abduction Attempts Rumour

Update: Thursday 5pm

“We would like to reassure the community that at this moment we have no reason to believe anyone has recently tried to abduct anyone in Wrexham. We are looking into some suspicious activity and all reports will be investigated thoroughly.”

Over the last few days we have recieved several tweets and emails reporting child abduction attempts in and around Wrexham.

Wrexham.com has enquired about the alleged Queens Park abduction attempt reported on Facebook and other social media, with North Wales Police telling us “We treat every report on its merits and investigate thoroughly. At the moment we have no reason to believe anyone has recently tried to abduct anyone in Wrexham“.

Last week two alleged abduction attempts were reported locally, one on Bryn Estyn Lane and one on the junction of Jeffreys Road and Box Lane.

After investigating the facebook comments it seems one report is being re-posted quite frequently, many quoting ‘a friend has posted this…’

“Please can everyone be aware that yet ANOTHER attempted abduction has taken place today on Deva Way, Queens Park, Wrexham. People in a people carrier have attempted to abduct 2 school children.” plus encouragement to share the statement, and varients mentioning a man in a Ford Focus and different places eg. Ruabon.

This has appeared over the last few days, so the ‘today’ aspect of the report is certainly inaccurate.

In light of this we would urge people to follow things up themselves, much in the vein of the ‘wrexham riots’ tweets which started from a couple of posts and grew from there ( our article from that time – Wrexham Riots – The Truth ), likewise edit your own warnings eg. if you heard it last night, dont report it as today. This will hopefully ensure any first hand experiences can be seen as that rather than repeating a rumour.

One local resident told Wrexham.com they saw this as a good way to remind their children of possible dangers, saying “I had heard about this from a friend, and spoke to our children about it and what they would do if they were approached. They gave good answers which was reassuring!”

Some Child Abduction Prevention Ideas

• At a very early age, teach your child their name, address and telephone number and your first and last name.
• Establish a family code word that only you, your child and a trusted relative or friend knows. Teach your child to ask for the code word when approached by someone offering them a ride.
• Teach your child never wander off, to avoid lonely places, and to avoid shortcuts through alleys or deserted areas. They are safer walking or playing with friends.
• Listen to your child when he or she discusses anyone they have met or spoken with when you weren’t around.
• Talk to your children about child abduction in a simple, non-threatening way.
• Teach your child to scream, run away and tell you or a trusted adult if anyone attempts to touch or grab them, of if a stranger offers them a lift.

If you have direct information regarding possible child abductions in Wrexham do not hesitate to contact the police.

If you have further details of this story, drop us a tweet @wrexham , or in the comments below, or our new Wrexham Forum.