People are being warned to be vigilant after three separate reports of a man trying to lure boys to get into his vehicle.
They happened in Byram, south west of Selby.
The first incident was last Wednesday (18 September) at around 4pm.
A boy was walking on the outskirts of the village on Sutton Lane, near the junction with Buckingham Way.
The man was driving an “older grey car” and he asked the boy to get in.
The boy rightly refused, and he headed home to tell his family what had happened. They reported the incident to us.
The man was described as white, bald, aged around 40 with bad teeth. He was wearing a green high vis jacket.
The car was last seen driving off in the direction of Birkin.
Incident two
At around 7pm the same day, a second report was made by the family of another boy who had been approached by a man at Grey Fold while playing out with his friends.
The boy said the man had offered sweets and asked him and his friends to get in the van.
This man was described as white, older and wearing a red coat.
Incident three
On Tuesday (24 September), a third incident happened between 4.30pm and 4.50pm on Byram Park Road near the woods.
The boy was riding his bicycle when he was approached by a man sat inside a smaller white van. The man offered him sweets to get inside.
The boy refused and sensibly rode away to safety and told his family.
On this occasion, the suspect was described as white, bald or with a shaven head, large build, aged in his 40s, “foreign” accent and possibly has a tattoo on his arm.
Stepping up patrols
During each incident, there has been no physical attempt to get the children into the vehicles.
Extensive police enquiries are ongoing to identify the suspect vehicles and people involved in the incidents which could be connected.
Police have also stepped up ‘reassurance patrols’ in the area.
Detective Chief Inspector Shaun Page, who is leading the investigation, said: “I understand that these recent developments will raise local concerns. I want to personally reassure you we are fully committed to investigating these incidents.
“I am urging people to come forward with information to help our enquiries, with any CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage that could assist.”
If you can help police, you can contact them on the numbers below.
How to help the police
- Call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the Force Control Room
- Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via the website
- Quote reference number number12240170563