An inquiry is underway into reports that two men attempted to kidnap a boy on his way to school in Stroud this morning.

In a post on social media - which was sent to the SNJ by concerned parents - the boy's mother said: "As my son was walking to school to meet a friend by Brickrow, he was followed by a silver type sports car.

"He knew this was not right so he started running and then the car sped up.
"A white van with no number plates then stopped and two men got out the van and one hit my son in the face."

She said that the two men then tried to kidnap her son, who is a pupil at Archway School, before he was able to fight them off and received help from a friend who was nearby.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said: "We received a report this morning, Wednesday, of schoolchildren being approached by strangers. Inquiries are on-going at this time."