Police warning after suspicious white van approaching pedestrians in Wigan and Leigh

GMP Leigh Atherton and Hindley posted a Facebook message on Wednesday afternoon saying officers had received numerous reports of drivers and passengers of vehicles acting suspiciously.

Police urged residents to report anything unusual or to them as it is believed most information is just being circulated on social media.

Wiganers were also warned of the dangers of scapegoating.

Police confirmed the matter was under investigation and no-one has actually been abducted.

The Wigan Post was told of one incident on Monday night on Lily Lane in Bamfurlong where a pedestrian was approached by a white van and the two men inside offered him a lift.

When he refused and continued walking the vehicle turned round in a side street and returned.

The men in the van gradually became more insistent and aggressive, only speeding off when the victim threatened to call police.

The GMP message on Facebook said: “Remain vigilant at all times and please report any suspicious activity to the police - we can’t act if we don’t know about it.

“If possible make sure family and/or friends are with you when you are making journeys on foot.

“Remain conscious of your surroundings and try to avoid being distracted by your phone or music.

“There are thousands of white vans in use across our communities and the vast majority of these are involved in normal work and leisure activities.”