Arrest after fake policeman handcuffed boy in Alford

Detectives say two boys were approached by a man pretending to be a police officer in Alford

A man has been arrested after a young boy was handcuffed in the street by a man posing as a police officer.

The child was approached outside a shop in Alford, Lincolnshire, on 13 July by a man who ran off when disturbed by the boy's mother.

Lincolnshire Police said a 40-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer.

He has been taken into custody for questioning, the force said.

Police previously appealed for information after the child and another boy, both understood to be of primary school age, were approached by a man in Hamilton Road at about 17:20 BST.

The man, who was wearing a high-vis jacket, managed to handcuff the youngest boy before the child's mother came out of the shop and intervened.

The incident prompted the head teacher of nearby Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School to send a warning letter to parents and pupils.