POLICE are investigating after the alleged attempted abduction of a toddler from a coffee shop in York.

A York mum, who asked not to be named, said she and her two-year-old son were sitting in the coffee shop in Museum Street last week, when the incident happened.

Writing on social media, she said: “We were sat in Costa opposite Museum Gardens, where the man opened the door and tried to get my son to go with him. I obviously grabbed my son and brought him back to the table.”

After recovering her son, a second man in the coffee shop told her “the guy had been doing hand gestures to my son to get him to come to him from the window outside”, but although he is alleged to have beckoned to the child, the mum said the man did not touch or try to grab him.

The woman said: “All I can say is thank God I was watching my son, because he was oblivious to the guys intentions and being the adventurous boy he is he would have wandered out the door to God knows what.”

North Yorkshire Police said they were contacted on Friday, June 15, to a report of “suspicious circumstances” which had taken place the previous day “where a man allegedly approached a 2-year-old child and encouraged the child to leave with him”.

A spokeswoman said enquiries were ongoing to establish the circumstances around the incident.

She said: “Incidents of child abduction are fortunately very rare in North Yorkshire and particularly so in relation to incidents involving strangers.

“Regardless of the circumstances, North Yorkshire Police takes all reported child abduction and attempted child abduction incidents extremely seriously and anyone who has any information which could assist police enquiries is asked to dial 101, select option one and pass the information to our Force Control Room.”

Alternatively phone Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 quoting reference 12180106547.