EastEnders star Billy Murray has warned parents to be vigilant after claiming a group of men in an Audi attempted to “kidnap” his grandchildren while they were out with their mum and his son-in-law.
Taking to Instagram Stories, the 81-year-old who played gangster Jonny Allen in the BBC soap, revealed that the terrifying incident happened close to his home in Essex while his daughter and her partner were enjoying a day out.
Speaking in the clip, he said: “My daughter and my two grandchildren and her partner were out yesterday in a little tiny village just round the corner from our little farm.
“And they were just walking along and picking some wildflowers or whatever and she got kind of separated because a telephone call came for her partner and she just took it and he just stood there for a minute talking.
“A black Audi pulled up in front of her blocking the way she was walking.”
Murray - who has also appeared in The Bill - contintued: “The driver got out and she could see through the screen that there was a passenger and three other guys sat in the back.
“And he walked up to her and he was very familiar with her or whatever, chatting to her, he was European. It was a black four-door Audi A6.
“They kept looking at the children and she had this terrible fear, all of a sudden, come over her and she panicked and she called out to Mick.”
He went on to claim: “[Mick] looked over and saw exactly what was happening because the guys in the back and the passenger were getting out of the car to approach the children.
“They were going to kidnap my grandchildren, that’s they assumed anyway. And as soon as Mick, her partner, saw it he yelled and screamed at them to run and he ran over.
“And as he ran over because he was across the other side of the road, they all jumped in their car and squealed off - tyres burning, everything.
“Beware, they’re out there, there’s five guys in an Audi A6.”
He added that the incident had been reported to the police who were unable to do anything as the children hadn’t been touched.
The clip soon began to circulate online and was shared by the likes of Kater Ferdinand, who described it as “every parents’ worst nightmare”.
“Watched this before I went to bed last night & have barely slept, so scary!” the pregnant former The Only Way Is Essex star penned.
“Thank goodness the children are ok. Keep your babies close everyone. This really is every parents worst nightmare.”
Meanwhile, another ex TOWIE star, Ferne McCann added: “Scary! Orset is up the road from me. What is wrong with people. We must protect our children.”
A spokesperson for Essex Police told the Standard: “We received a call shortly after 12.35pm on Sunday 9 April reporting concerns about an incident from around 3.30pm the previous day (Saturday 8 April).
“The caller reported three men – described as being in their mid-20s to mid-30s all with short dark hair, one wearing a leather jacket and another wearing a cap – in a black Audi A5 had engaged her in conversation as she crossed the road in The Green, Orsett.
“It was reported a door of the car opened but it wasn’t reported to us that anyone got out. The caller stated her partner approached the vehicle and it drove off.
“No physical contact between any of those involved, or attempts at physical contact, was reported. No further information about the car was disclosed.
“Based on the information provided no offences have been identified but the call has been noted for intelligence purposes.
We know the public will be concerned by a video circulating online relating to this incident and high visibility patrols are taking place in the area. We are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any concerns or suspicious activity to us.
“If you have any information or concerns you can report them via our online reporting services: www.essex.police.uk/digital101. Please quote incident 474 of 9 April.”
