Police probe underway after youngster approached by three men and offered sweets

A post on PSNI Craigavon’s Facebook site said the incident happened in Co Down at 9.20pm on Tuesday.

“It’s important to stress at this stage that we don’t know what the motives were or for certain that this is something to worry about,” says the post.

“What we do know is that it was reported that at around 9.20pm a 10 year old boy was out on his bike on Main Street when he was spoken to by 3 men in a white van who asked him to come over to them and offered him sweets.

“The boy did the right thing, remembered Stranger Danger, and went straight home to tell his mum.”

In the post a PSNI spokesman asks anyone who saw a white van in the area at that time, or were one of those men, to please contact them.

“There may be a perfectly innocent explanation for this so it’s important we get talking to you to find out and reassure the parents,” adds the post.

“Call us on 101 quoting incident 1355 of 16/08/16.”

The post also advises parents that “this is a good time to remind your kids of their safety”.

“Remind them that if they are approached by someone they don’t know, to walk away and find an adult they do know and to never get into a strangers car, or accept sweets from anyone they don’t know,” it adds.

“We have stepped up our patrols in the area, however if you see anything suspicious anywhere around this, call us on 101.”

DUP Councillor Mark Baxter, who lives in the Donacloney area, said he was been contacted by worried parents in the Donacloney area on Tuesday night.

“Obviously this is a very worrying development which parents in the village and surrounding areas very worried,” he said.

“I spoke with police on four occasions who are taking the report seriously but stress that there may be a reasonable explanation and advise parents to not be unduly worried but to take this opportunity to teach their children about “stranger danger.”