Two girls aged six and nine were “grabbed” and led into a secluded area by a masked stranger in a terrifying abduction attempt yards from Stoke Newington Police Station.
The schoolgirls were playing in Coronation Avenue off Victorian Road at 7pm on Friday when the man struck. They escaped unharmed after their screams forced him to run off.
Detectives say he was wearing dark clothing with a light mask and are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
It is being treated as an attempted abduction and was an isolated incident, Scotland Yard has said. Hackney CID officers – whose headquarters backs onto the crime scene – have been knocking on doors and trying to establish if there is any CCTV footage.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information can call police on 0208 217 3739 or on 101 quoting CAD7307 of September 7. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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