kidnap attempt in shop - is it true?

[jenhden]

in the past two months i have heard three almost identical stories of an attempted kidnap and am wondering if it is an urban myth or if there is a spate that i would have expected to hear on the news by now.

whati've heard is that whilst paying a cashier in a shop a mother turns to realise her young daughter who had been attached by a wrist strap rein has gone, with the strap cut.

The cashier presses a panic button which locks all the doors and the girl is found in the toilets with someone who has cut her hair off and dressed her in boys clothes in order to get her out of the shop unnoticed.

one was a mothercare in hull, one an asda in leeds and the other a supermarket in birmingham.

Has this happened?

[EldonAve]

urban myth

[Feenie]

Nope.

Here

[LowLevelWhingeing]

I heard this too, but it was an asda in south london! Very glad to hear it's not true.

[exexpat]

Sounds like a variation on an urban myth which has been doing the rounds for ages - setting is shopping mall or theme park, and kidnappers supposedly change child's clothes, dye hair and so on. One variation I've often heard has it that the child is only spotted on the way out because the kidnapper failed to change their socks/shoes. See these versions on Snopes here.

I don't think you need to worry - any more than any parent usually does, that is.

[MakemineaGandT]

I heard this about Balham Sainsburys about 5 years ago! Must be an urban myth....

[emaritska]

This particular myth is now doing the rounds in Surrey/ussex...had 6 messages today about it

[Bucharest]

It's more than an urban myth.
It's clever, vile Daily Mailesque racist bigotry disguised as a caring community.
Note how whatever the story, the perps are always Roma?

[thedollshouse]

Why do people make this sort of stuff up?

I used to get really annoyed with a work colleague who would forward this type of thing to me. If it was true it would make the national news.

[EvilTwins]

I heard that too - in Bradford.

[pofacedandproud]

been doing the rounds for years

[mrstimlovejoy]

this went round where i live,a girl was taken from her parents car as she'd been left in it.again was found in toilets with 2 european ladies who had cut her hair short and dressed her in boys clothes.there was an article in our local paper saying it was a hoax.the thing is where it was supposed to have happened is a few miles away from where the mccanns live

[suwoo]

Its been going around for years and is currently doing the rounds in Manchester. I have heard this week about it happening in two different branches of Asda.

Even bloody 7 year old DD has come home from school and told me about it.

[Chaotica]

How bloody wierd. Although I've never heard the story. Maybe that's because I am Roma and would therefore be doing the stealing. (Oh, that's right, I wondered where those two blond toddlers I have came from... )

(Gypsies have been stealing babies for a thousand years - heaven knows why, I can only just cope with my two.)

[FiveGoMadonTheDanceFloor]

It is not an urban myth, a friend of my sisters who works for the Met Police was called to an incident in a supermarket exactly as described.

[Buda]

I heard it about a supermarket near a friend's house and a shop in Ennis in Ireland. All in same week.

[pofacedandproud]

when was that Five as I've heard it going round for at least 5 years...

[Chaotica]

Sorry - fivegomad... but 'a friend of my sister's...' is not a very good way to make us all believe this to be true.

[currycrazy]

i heard this when i lived in spain,how bloody weird......i heard the same story but it was morrocons apparently doing the attempted kidnap

[Chaotica]

We get everywhere, Buda. Have to hire buses to move all the kids around

[Tee2072]

It is an Urban Myth five. Think about it. Public bathroom. People in and out. And the kidnappers are going to have the time to shave the head/dye the hair/change the clothes with no one noticing?

Also, name one shop that actually has a button at each cashier station that locks the store down instantly.

Not to mention, it would be all over the news in 5 minutes. Find me an actual news report.

Right a friend of your sister's. Or, more likely, a friend of your sister's friend.

[thelunar66]

I first heard this fairy tale about 14 years ago. It was meant to have been Meadowhall Shopping mall in Sheffield.

[suwoo]

It is soo not true, here it is on Snopes the urban myth busting website.

[FiveGoMadonTheDanceFloor]

Well seeing I have met him and know his brother very well can definitely say that he is a friend of my sisters. Whatever you think.

[scrappydappydoo]

Hmm - I heard it happened in my local Asda last week but I figured if it was true it would surely be reported in local newspaper but nothing so I'm taking with a pinch of salt..