POLICE are investigating reports that men in white vans are trying to abduct children.

Twice in two days children have been targeted and on one occasion a man tried to grab hold of child's coat.

Police are working to establish whether the two incidents are linked.

READ MORE: UPDATE: Police speak to three men in connection with child abduction attempts

The first incident happened on Monday just after 9.40pm when a 14-year-old girl was walking along Lower Southfield towards a ginnel linking to The Pewfist in Westhoughton

She was followed a short distance by a white Transit-style van with blacked-out side windows and a sliding door.

A social media post on Facebook about the incident says she was followed from Wigan Road onto Southfield Drive. 

Three people wearing balaclavas jumped from the van and chased her.

She ran to a nearby home, after which she was safely walked home.

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The driver of the van, who was not wearing a balaclava, is described as white and wearing a coat with a fur-lined hood.

The second incident happened yesterday afternoon. 

Two 11-year-olds, a boy and a girl, were walking along Spring Lane in Radcliffe at about 3.40pm.

A white Transit-style van with a sliding door was stationary at traffic lights at the junction with Blackburn Street.

The van’s sliding door opened and a person in the van demanded the children get inside.

One of the people attempted to grab one of the children’s coats, but missed.

The children then ran off.

The van was described as being dirty and rusty with white bumpers and had ladders on the roof.

Police officers have said the rear section of the van had no seating and there was wood in the back.

The driver in the second incident was described as white, with tanned or darker-shaded skin and aged between 30-40 years-old.

He was wearing a black baseball cap, dirty clothes and black trainers, one of which had a hole in.

It is believed that a woman witnessed this attempted abduction and police are urging her and anyone else with information or who witnessed either incident to get in touch.

Chief Inspector Phil Spurgeon of GMP’s Bury Division said: “We understand the concern that incidents such as these causes.

“I’d like to reassure the community that we have detectives working on both incidents to establish if they are linked, and to identify the vehicles and occupants involved.

“It is absolutely essential that anyone with information on these two incidents contacts police as a matter of urgency.

“Perhaps you have seen a white van driving suspiciously in the Bolton or Bury area during the last few days.

“Even the smallest piece of information can be enough to help apprehend suspects and solve cases such as these.

“We would particularly like to appeal to a woman whom we believe witnessed the second incident in Radcliffe.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8172 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.