Hunt for bogus police officer who approached women in York
- Published
The women were approached on Piccadilly in York
A man claiming to be a plain-clothes police officer looking for a sex offender stopped a group of women in York and offered to escort them home.
The man asked for names, addresses and social media account details, but left when the women asked members of the public for help.
The suspect approached the group on Piccadilly, York, at about 21:40 BST on Thursday 17 June, officers said.
Anyone approached in a similar way is being asked to contact police.
The man is described as white, aged in his mid-20s, 5ft 10ins (1.7m) tall, with short gingery or light brown hair and a short beard.
At the time of the incident he was wearing shorts, a brown t-shirt or polo shirt and flip-flops, officers said.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "A genuine police officer will identify themselves by showing you their warrant card.
"This is proof of their identity and authority. If you want to verify their identity, you can ask for their collar number and call 101 to check they are who they claim to be."
The force says an investigation into the incident has been launched, with anyone who witnessed the incident or who has been approached in a similar way asked to contact police.
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