Panic calls follow false Market Drayton rumours on Facebook

False rumours about strangers approaching children were spread on a Market Drayton Facebook page, sparking a child safety alert, it was revealed today.

Town police were bombarded with calls from worried parents after a posting on The Drayton Crier sparked panic.

When the posting hit the forum, it snowballed into a flurry of more misleading reports. Police said they were inundated with calls, putting a strain on resources.

But following talks with site moderators it has been agreed to tighten up rules for users of the page.

The rumours started last Thursday, when a parent posted an entry on the forum saying their child had been chased by a stranger during a fireworks display.

This was followed by another report of two youngsters being approached in a town park and another child who had been startled by a man coming out of his shed.

Mike Smith, who runs the website, had initially offered to close the site down after talks with police, but instead, he has issued a warning to existing and potential users that defamatory, offensive and inappropriate postings will be rejected.

Mr Smith said: "We posted a general warning about child safety after a lady said her daughter had been chased by someone. Then we were told that a girl had been frightened by a man coming out of his shed.

"But the biggest one was where two lads had supposedly been chased off the town park by a man, the police got involved and we were asked to post a warning about a man loitering around the area."

Constable Mick Sturland, of Market Drayton police, said: "If anybody has any concerns they should notify the police.

"The Drayton Crier can be a fantastic tool, if used properly, but it can also have an adverse effect on police investigations."