Lancashire Police warn against sharing 'Facebook rumours' after man claims mum was attacked in woods
Police are warning people to be aware of misleading posts on social media after a Leyland man claimed his mum was attacked while walking her dog in the woods.
The post was widely shared on local Facebook groups this week and caused concern in the community after it was claimed a woman was attacked ‘by a foreign man’ whilst walking her dog in Farington Hall Woods, off Hall Lane.
“He tried to drag her into the bushes but thankfully a passerby stepped in to help chase the man off,” said the man, who added the incident had been reported to police.
The attack was alleged to have occurred on Tuesday (November 4), but Lancashire Police say the Facebook post does not accurately reflect what happened.
Officers are still making enquiries but the force is urging people “not to accept as fact everything you see or read about, especially on social media”. See their full statement below...
The force has been investigating a number of worrying incidents recently, involving women targeted by strangers in Leyland and Buckshaw Village. The Post was made aware of these incidents and these were verified by Lancashire Police to ensure their accuracy before they were shared with our readers.
They include a 14-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after a Leyland woman in her 40s was tackled from behind and dragged to the ground near the old ‘test track’ - now Centurion Village - at around 8pm on Tuesday, September 9. You can read our report here.
In a second incident on Sunday (November 2), we reported that a woman in her 30s was chased through the streets of Buckshaw Village by a ‘strange man’. The force said patrols have been stepped up in the area. You can read our report here.
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Police statement
A police spokesperson said: “We are aware of some posts on social media and rumours in the community about an assault in the Farington Hall Woods area, off Hall Lane in Leyland last night and we wanted to provide some clarification.
“While we are making some further enquiries to try to get to the bottom of what may have happened it is important to stress that we have already established that not all of what was claimed in some of these posts is accurate.
“We know that hearing reports about incidents in your community, in particular incidents like the one posted about in this instance, can be concerning but we would urge you not to accept as fact everything you see or read about, especially on social media and we would urge caution in sharing posts that may not be accurate as this can help the spread of misinformation and can lead to untold consequences.
“If you are a victim of crime or know of someone who is then please report it to us so that we can take the appropriate action rather than just posting details on social media.
“You may see extra officers out an about in Leyland over the day or so as reassurance and if you have any information or concerns, please feel free to approach an officer.”