Police today launched a manhunt after an 11-year-old was abducted from Colchester.

The boy told police he was snatched in Princess Drive, High Woods, at 3.30pm on Friday, before being found safe more than 14 hours later.

Police had been alerted to the boy's disappearance by his parents and officers mounted a search for him, but he was eventually discovered uninjured at 5.45am on Saturday.

He told officers how the man approached him and put his hands over his mouth before putting him in the back of a P-registration Ford Transit van, which had half-glass doors at the rear.

But as he was being driven away, towards Ardleigh, he said he managed to open the van's door and jumped out, banging his head as he fell. The van did not stop.

He made his way to a garage, which is believed to have been the BP station on the A12 north of Colchester, where he tried to get assistance.

But he said he was ignored so he continued walking and eventually got help from a motorist at 5.45am on Saturday and was taken to a police station.

Officers are appealing for information from motorists who may have been in the area at the time to try to find out exactly what happened to the boy.

He is 4ft 6in tall, of thin build, with light brown short hair and has green eyes. He was wearing black trousers, a white shirt, a green tie with red and gold stripes, black shoes and was carrying a Liverpool rucksack.

The man who is alleged to have taken him is described as being white, in his 30s, of slim build, with a freckled face and with short brown hair.

He was wearing a black bomber jacket with a zip up front, a blue football shirt with a white ring round the collar, blue jeans with holes at the knees and paint on them, white trainers and a black baseball cap with the letters NY in white on the front.

If anyone can help they should contact Colchester CID on 01206 762212

Published Monday, December 16, 2002

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