Terrifying moment man 'tries to kidnap girl, 11, in broad daylight' before heroic stranger steps in to save her

31 August 2023, 20:14

Police are hunting two men in connection with the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old girl in Bromley on Saturday.

The girl was approached by a man in West Wickham on Saturday before midday - with the man attempting to get the child to leave with him, Metropolitan Police said.

CCTV footage obtained by MailOnline showed the girl standing alone outside the shop before the man approached and started talking to her.

Just as she goes to walk off with him a member of the public intervenes in the situation. A woman in a green dress can be seen rushing out of a shop and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

The trio continue to talk before the man gives a thumbs up and walks off.

Two photos have since been released of two men that police want to speak to in connection to the case.

Read More: Men 'try to kidnap girl, 11' in south London before she is saved by heroic stranger

It comes after the men were caught on CCTV following the girl into Shriji News.

Shop owner Maunil Patel, 35, said the men had been watching the girl closely to see if she was on her own.

"I saw the girl come in first, I've seen her before as she lives nearby, and two men I've not seen came in soon afterwards," he told MailOnline.

"The girl was looking around the shop for a few minutes and the men were keeping a close eye on her, watching what she was doing and maybe seeing if anyone was with her.

"One of the men then came to the counter and asked me in Hindi about mobile phone top-up vouchers.

"He went out of the shop first and turned right. The security camera shows him waiting outside the charity shop.

"The girl bought something - sweets I think - and walked out of my shop and past the man who was waiting outside the shop next door.

"He followed her slightly and asked her something which made her turn round. He'd apparently asked her if she was alone and if she needed any help.

"At this point a woman in a long turquoise dress walked into the charity shop but glanced towards them as she went in. She was obviously worried about what was going on.

"A few seconds later she came out the shop and challenged the man. I heard her say to him that she was going to call the police and she asked the girl to come with her.

"The girl, who was by now quite confused and scared, went with the woman into the shop. The man hung around momentarily but then walked off towards Natwest Bank on the other side of the road."

A Met Police statement said: "At 11:45hrs on Saturday, 24 June, an 11-year-old girl was approached by a man on High Street, West Wickham who tried to convince her to leave with him.

"A member of the public, seeing the child looked nervous, intervened and took her into a shop.

"Officers are keen to hear from anyone who can name the men in the images."

A spokesperson added that an investigation was being conducted into the incident - but the child was safe and well after the quick-thinking intervention of their parent.

The incident comes days after another attempted kidnapping in South London when the driver of a silver Ford Transit van tried to entice a child into the back.

Another parent reported an attempted abduction on Purneys Road in Greenwich on June 15 at around 9am when the child was on their way to school.