Man arrested over Crawley kidnap and police impersonation

A girl was stopped by a man pretending to be a police officer in the Three Bridges area of Crawley

A man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and impersonating a police officer after approaching a teenager.

The 32-year-old was detained at 11:15 BST in the Three Bridges area of Crawley, West Sussex, on Wednesday.

Sussex Police said a 14-year-old girl reported being approached by a man wearing a yellow hi-vis jacket who then took her to an area off the road and searched her before cycling off.

Police said the girl is safe, unharmed and receiving support.

Supt Marc Clothier said: "We understand that this arrest will impact communities.

"We want to reassure people we have not received any similar reports at this time and there is no current risk to anyone in the community in relation to this case."

Sussex Police said more uniformed patrols would be in the area and issued advice to anyone worried about lone police officers.

Supt Clothier said: "We understand some people may want additional reassurance when interacting with a lone police officer and when you are alone.

"If this is the case, genuine officers can use their police radio on loudspeaker to talk to the operator in the police control room."

He added: "The operator can confirm the identity of the officer, that they are on duty and carrying out legitimate policing business. You can also ask a passer-by to observe."

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