DETECTIVES have urged witnesses to come forward after reports of two children being mistreated in public.

A member of the public contacted North Yorkshire Police at about 2.15pm on Saturday, March 8, and claimed to have seen two adults acting aggressively towards two children with them in the car park of Creepy Crawlies in Wigginton Road.

A police spokesman said the boys - one aged nine and the other believed to be three or four-years-old - were pushed forcefully by the two men they were with, in behaviour considered "unacceptable and beyond lawful chastisement".

The spokesman said CCTV was not available of the incident, and urged anyone who saw the incident or has any information which could help the investigation, to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for the York Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit.

Alternatively, phone Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.