Two child abduction attempts in Coventry

[dutchman]

Attempts to abduct two children, involving an incident in which a puppy was taken, have been made in Coventry.

Police said a man drove away with an 11-year-old girl's dog when he failed to entice her into his car on Saturday morning.

On Sunday afternoon a man tried to persuade a 13-year-old girl to get in his car in Henley Road. He drove away when she refused.

Police said they were investigating whether the two incidents were linked.

The first incident took place at the junction of Foleshill Road and Crosshill Road.

'Situation misread'

The girl had been in a nearby park with her father when their 10-month-old Husky ran off.

She ran after it and when a postman got hold of the dog a man pulled up in a silver or grey-coloured car.

The postman misread the situation and passed the dog to the man in the car, thinking it was the girl's father.

The man in the car, who was Asian and in was in his mid 30s or 40s with a moustache, drove away when the girl refused to get in the car.

The second incident involved an Asian man driving a silver car and thought to be in his 20s or 30s with shaven hair.

Det Insp Stuart Bell said any case of attempted child abduction is "seriously concerning".

"Anyone who has witnessed these incidents or who has suspicions about someone who has recently acquired a puppy should call us," he said.