Surrey Police officers are sifting through up to 100 calls from members of the public in an appeal sparked by the suspected abduction of a child in Redhill.
Detectives are “completely satisfied with the credibility” of the one person who reported witnessing the kidnap in the commuter town at about 4.30pm on Thursday, Detective Superintendent Chris Edwards said.
A white child, aged six or seven, was apparently seen being bundled into the back of a black van on Redstone Hill before the vehicle was driven off.
The suspected disappearance has sparked a major police investigation, although no child matching the description has been reported missing.
Speaking outside Reigate police station on Friday, Det Supt Edwards said: “Following the media appeal this morning, we are now working our way through and are responding to upwards of 100 calls and contacts that we've received from members of the public.
“So the investigation now turns to widening the CCTV recovery and viewing parameters relating to the location as well as conducting house to house investigations this afternoon.”
He said developments in the probe had allowed officers to eliminate a black VW Transporter that was initially linked to the incident from their enquiries.
But he added a similar van – another VW Transport but without a roof rack – was now being sought by detectives.
“What I can confirm is that we're still looking a 02 plate black VW transporter van and the vehicle we now think has three alloy wheels, and the fourth wheel on that vehicle is a space saving wheel, which would make it quite distinct,” he said.
Det Supt Edwards went on: “We're completely satisfied with the credibility of that witness and we're narrowed the time frame down to 4.25pm yesterday up until 4.40pm.
“So that's a renewed appeal on behalf of the investigation with anybody who has information with regards to that location and there being there and seeing something untoward taking place at that location, we would welcome again an early conversation.
“We're also interested in speaking to people who were there at that time who didn't see anything so that we can eliminate witness from the investigation if they don't have anything to contribute.”
A child’s mountain found at the scene of the incident, originally thought to have belonged to the “missing” child, has also been eliminated from the investigation, he said.
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