Hunt for girl ‘abducted during fireworks display’

Police were investigating the possible abduction of a young girl at a fireworks display in Manchester last night.

Officers searched cars as thousands of people departed a Bonfire Night event at the city’s Heaton Park.

Detectives said the child – said to be six or seven years old, according to social media reports – was believed to have been snatched from the park.

Superintendent Arif Nawaz, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “We are taking this report extremely seriously and are following all possible lines of inquiry, which may cause disruption to people leaving the event.”