Blackpool dog walker's eerie late-night encounter in Kingscote Park

Police were called to a park in Blackpool after a woman heard a child screaming for help in the early hours of the morning.

Elle Shaw was walking her dog in Kingscote Park in Layton at 2.30am on Wednesday morning when she heard a frightened child cry out “help me! help me!”.

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“It came from the woods,” said Elle, who was left spooked by the hair-raising encounter. “They screamed twice at the top of their voice. It was pitch black and I was terrified. It sounded like a young child.”

Elle returned home spooked and alerted police. Her report was treated as an emergency with officers rushing to the park to investigate.

They searched the woods by torchlight but found nothing suspicious.

The eerie incident remains a mystery for now but Lancashire Police are eager to hear from anyone who might have had similar disturbing encounters in the area.

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A police spokesperson said: “We received a report of a concern for welfare in Kingscote Park, Blackpool at around 2.30am on Wednesday (April 17).

“Our officers attended and carried out a thorough search of the surrounding area but did not find anything suspicious.

“Anyone with information that can assist our enquiries can contact us on 101 quoting log 0092 of April 17.”