Police investigate ‘attempted abduction’ of two year old child from York coffee shop

A mother has warned other parents to be on their guard after a man tried to grab her young son in a city centre café.

The incident happened last week in Costa Coffee on Museum Street.

Writing on Facebook, the York mum said:

I just want everyone to be aware of an incident in York city centre where a man tried to get my two-year-old to go with him!

On Wednesday we were sat in Costa opposite Museum Gardens where the man opened the door and tried to get my son to go with him.

I obviously grabbed my son and brought him back to the table.

A different guy in Costa then came up to me and told me the guy had been doing hand gestures to my son to get him to come to him from the window outside.

She reported the incident to police, but said officers “unfortunately cannot do anything as the guy didn’t touch my son or attempt to grab him – but did agree the guy opened the door to my son”.

Sadly “the CCTV didn’t get a good picture of him”.

The mum added: “All I can say is thank god I was watching my son because he was oblivious to the guy’s intentions and being the adventurous boy he is he would have wandered out the door to god knows what. Please be aware!”

‘We take this extremely seriously’

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said they were contacted last Friday (June 15) to a report of suspicious circumstances at Costa Coffee, where a man allegedly approached a two-year-old child and encouraged the child to leave with him.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances around the incident.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

Incidents of child abduction are fortunately very rare in North Yorkshire and particularly so in relation to incidents involving strangers.

Regardless of the circumstances, North Yorkshire Police takes all reported child abduction and attempted child abduction incidents extremely seriously

Anyone who has any information which could assist their enquiries is asked to contact police – details below.

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