A teenage girl was bundled into a van at knifepoint and held for seven hours in a ‘random’ suspected abduction in a leafy Cheshire street.
The 15-year-old said she was threatened with a knife during the kidnapping which took place when she was walking in Bowdon, a village in Altrincham, on Monday evening.
The girl was reported missing within two hours and was eventually found in a hotel car park in Knutsford, Cheshire, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Police were alerted after a passerby heard her screams from inside the van.
Officers have arrested a 56-year-old suspect who is currently in custody.
The victim, it is understood, was forced into a vehicle on the Bradgate Road at around 6.45pm as she walked alone. She was reported missing at around 9pm.
Police issued an alert for a specific vehicle after a witness was able to report the registration plate having heard the girl’s screams.
Officers found the vehicle on a car park at the Cottons Hotel and Spa in the early hours. The teenager was inside. A man was arrested at the scene.
The victim was forced into a vehicle on Bradgate Road (pictured) in Bowdon, a village in Altrincham
Bowdon is a highly sought after suburb on the edge of Manchester and footballers including Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire have called it home.
The attempted kidnapping took place on Bradgate Road, just minutes away from the the salubrious Dunham Country Club, where houses sell for more than £2million.
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: ‘Officers working alongside Cheshire Police have arrested a man on suspicion of abduction after a teenage girl was reported missing on Monday 18 May in Altrincham.
‘A 56-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of 19 May and remains in custody for further questioning.
‘Specialist officers are supporting the girl and her family. There is no wider risk to the public. Further updates will be provided when appropriate.’
The man arrested was a white male, Greater Manchester Police said.
Detectives have been granted an extension to keep the suspect in custody for further questioning.
It is understood the incident is being treated as random and that the teenager is not known to the suspect.
