Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping.

They were detained in Warwickshire after two teenage girls were found in a van that was stopped near Coventry.

Police started looking for the silver Peugeot vehicle after several reports were made that the occupants had approached dog walkers in parts of the county over the weekend.

A member of the public was able to detain one of the occupants after he attempted to steal a bike and officers arrested him.

Two teenage girls were found in the van after it was later stopped near Coventry but the allegation of kidnap was made by the boy driving and neither of the girls.

Following his allegation three teenagers have been arrested, a 17-year-old boy and 15-year-old boy from Kent and 18-year-old from Warwickshire. All three have since been bailed until April.

Kent Police confirmed they "were notified by colleagues in Warwickshire of an allegation from a 17-year-old boy from Kent who had been stopped, that he had been taken from his parents without consent by people who were known to him, from the Maidstone area."

Despite the boy's report is not believed any missing persons reports were made in relation to the incident.

All involved are believed to be known to each other.

Inspector Allison Wiggin from Warwickshire Police’s Rural Crime Team added: “We’re aware this reads as a concerning and confusing incident and we would like to reassure the community about what took place.

“We are working with Kent Police officers to support inquiries.

“The two teenage girls in the van which was stopped near Coventry are believed to be known to those involved and this is not being treated as a kidnap. However, as the girls had been reported as missing from elsewhere in the country, we’ve worked with our partner agencies to ensure they are safeguarded.

“We would like to thank everyone who reported this incident in to us, so we were able to promptly attend and investigate. This was a positive result for the team and enquiries will continue in relation to the offences.”

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