The youngster is thought to have been abducted while his mother was briefly tending to a baby
(Image: PA)
A four-year-old boy who was abducted from a park in Dudley has been found safely and returned to his mother, police report.
The incident occurred at around 3pm on Thursday (June 18), and saw the child go missing near the fish pond in Haden Hill Park off Halesowen Road in Cradley Heath near Dudley, while his mother was tending to a baby nearby.
After a panicked search, police managed to locate him several minutes later in a nearby patch of woodland.
Police are currently looking for a suspect believed to have been involved with his disappearance, and have appealed to the public for footage and information. They have been described as being black and in their late teens, short of height and with curly hair. The suspect was described as being clean shaven and wearing black clothing at the time of the abduction.
“We believe this is an isolated incident but we understand how concerning it is and understand the impact it will have in the area and to the local community,” a spokesperson said.
“We are currently studying CCTV as we investigate. We are also appealing for witnesses to come forward and we’re particularly keen to hear from people who may have been in the park at the time and may have any mobile footage to please contact us.”
Additional officers remained in the area on Friday to offer reassurance to the local community, the BBC reports.
Cradley Heath is a Black Country town located in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands, located around eight miles away from Birmingham.
