A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of attempted child abduction following a “suspicious incident” involving a white van in Enfield.

A Met Police spokesperson confirmed it happened in the Enfield Lock area on Saturday, May 15, following which officers traced the van’s occupants and arrested them.

They have both been bailed to return on a date in mid-June.

It comes as reports are circulating about a 10-year-old boy who may have been abducted in Enfield on Tuesday morning this week when he was reported missing.

The police spokesperson said the boy was located and returned home on the same day.

But they added: “Police are aware of reports circulating that the boy may have potentially been abducted.

“Officers are continuing to conduct extensive enquiries to establish the circumstances of the alleged abduction and whether any offence has occurred.”

She added: “At this time police are not linking reports of the alleged abduction of the 10-year-old boy and reports of the suspicious incident in Enfield Lock involving the white van.

“As such, officers are continuing to investigate the two matters separately.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Treena Fleming, who is in charge of policing for Enfield and Haringey, said: "I would like to reassure my local community that we take all allegations of this nature very seriously; we understand the concerns and strength of feeling, particularly amongst parents, when we hear of potential incidents involving children.

“I am aware, understandably, that there has been a great deal of coverage and concern expressed on social media around these two incidents but I would respectfully ask the local community to allow us to complete a full and thorough investigation around both matters.

“This will ensure that we are able to fully understand what may have occurred.”

She added that any safety concerns will be flagged up to the public, as will further updates when the circumstances are established.

DCS Fleming continued: "You will continue to see officers out and about across Enfield and I would encourage the public to speak with them about any concerns they may have.

“I would also suggest those living in the area to follow the @MPSEnfield account on Twitter, which is used by officers to engage with the community.

“Child kidnappings or abductions are incredibly rare and I must stress that we are still establishing the full facts around these cases to determine whether any offences have been committed.”

Anyone who sees anything suspicious has been urged to call 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency.