A quick-thinking teenager stepped in to help a young girl who was being led away by a man she did not know, after he claimed he was friends with her dad.
Emma Carlile, 15, was walking home through Wallasey Village, Merseyside on Tuesday when she noticed an older man attempt to abduct a young girl, who is said to be around 11 years old, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Emma's dad Rik Carlile told the Echo his daughter was walking along when she saw a "creepy looking man" put his arm around the young girl.
"She noticed when the man approached her she looked a bit startled and then she heard the man say, 'I'm your dad's friend, don't you remember me? I've been to your house before'," he explained.
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"The girl was saying 'no, I don't remember' but he kept going on saying, 'I'm your dad's friend, I've met you before.'"
Emma followed them to a crossing which was when she decided to take action by shouting the first name that came to her to pretend she was related to the young girl.
"'Hey Bethany! Dad will be home tonight from police training'," she said, according to dad Rik.
"Apparently the girl looked at her and just opened her eyes wide as if to say thank you. She said she looked startled."
Emma told her dad that the man "walked quickly away" towards Wallasey Village train station after she shouted the fake name. The young girl thanked Emma and the teen helped her cross the road and ensured she got home safely.
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Rik reported the incident to the police soon after it happened. Emma described the man as being 'around 6ft tall with short grey hair and stubble, of large build' and 'wearing a green t-shirt and black trousers.'
"My wife Sarah and I are immensely proud of Emma," Rik told Tyla. "We have always tried to raise our children to have good values and treat others how they would like to be treated in return. Emma is a caring and sensitive young lady who often thinks of others before herself.
"All of the praise through social media for Emma has been really lovely and well received by Emma. At times her self-esteem and belief can be lacking and hopefully all of the kind words from the public can resonate with her and make her see what a lovely lady she has grown into.
"Emma still doesn't believe that she has done anything out of the ordinary and that anybody else in her shoes would've done the same. I think that in a society that performs kind gestures just for social media likes, a lot of young people could learn from Emma."
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Merseyside Police are currently investigating the incident. In a statement issued to Tyla, a spokesperson said: "We received a third party report from a member of the public at 6.45pm on Tuesday 15th June, that earlier that day a female walking through Wallasey village had been approached by an older male who had put his arm round her.
"A teenager approached the pair and spoke to the female and the man walked away in the direction of the train station. Neither the female or the male have been identified at this stage."
Topics: Children, UK News, News, crime