Masked men driving a white van are suspected of having tried to grab a child off a pavement in Weston-super-Mare.
Detectives are looking into reports that a child was approached in the seaside town by balaclava-clad men.
The alarm was raised on Sunday after reports of the incident near Selworthy Road and St Ives Road junction in the Bournville area of the town.
A parent walking with their child called the police after arriving home at about 8.45pm following the frightening incident.
Two men, wearing black clothes and faces covered with masks, approached the child after jumping out of a Ford Transit van, the parent said.
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The men didn’t touch the child or make physical contact, it is understood.
Inspector Paul Chaplin from Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘This is a concerning incident and we’re working to identify these two men and establish the full circumstances of what happened.
‘Officers attended within minutes of the call being received and have spoken to the boy and his family. We will continue to update them as our investigation progresses.’
The force is appealing for anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area or has doorbell footage to get in touch.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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