Rumours on social media which claim a man tried to kidnap a six-year-old boy in a Stevenage park have been dismissed by the police as complete nonsense.

The boy went missing in Fairlands Valley Park on Sunday at about 3pm and was reunited with his father a short time later after being found by a member of the public.

There have been several posts on Stevenage Facebook pages accusing the man of trying to kidnap the boy, something the police say is totally untrue.

One person posted: “Apparently a man tried to snatch a young boy over Fairlands today (Sunday). Luckily his dad got him back and the police are investigating. Please be extra vigilant with you kids, it seems nowhere is safe.”

Stevenage Safer Neighbourhood Team Insp Simon Tabert explained this was not the case and said: “Thankfully, due to the swift actions of another parent in the park area, the boy was quickly reunited with this father.

“We are aware there have been rumours circulating on social media about the incident. While I appreciate there may be some concerns from parents, I would like to remind people to be mindful when posting comments about incidents and police investigations on social networking sites, as these can cause unnecessary alarm in the community.”