The Metropolitan Police has apologised to a Line of Duty star after she complained the force was failing to properly investigate the attempted abduction of her 11-year-old son.
Sherise Blackman, who appeared as firearms officer Ruby Jones in the hit show, said her son was walking home from school in Beckenham, Bromley, when two men on the street and another man in a black car tried to grab him on Friday.
One of the men asked the boy if he ‘wanted a lift’ but he sensed danger and ran towards teenagers on a basketball court nearby for help.
He was able to make it home where his parents found him ‘shaken’ and they immediately called the police to report the incident.
But Ms Blackman said she felt as though officers were trying to ‘fob it off’ when they took a statement from her son and that no suspects have been identified.
The actress added that she was ‘very dissatisfied’ with the line of questioning being aimed at her son’s ‘beef’ with other children at school rather than the possible abductors.
The Met has since apologised, with Superintendent Andy Brittain, from the South Area BCU, saying: ‘I fully acknowledge our initial response was not sufficient given the extremely worrying circumstances of this incident.
‘The matter was reviewed and detectives are carrying out further investigation which remains ongoing.
‘I want to reassure the boy’s parents and the wider community that this incident is being fully investigated to establish the full circumstances of what happened.’
Sherise Blackman (pictured next to Gregory Piper who plays Ryan Pilkington on the show), who acted as cop Ruby Jones in Sunday’s Line of Duty finale, said her son was walking home from school in Beckenham, Bromley, when two men on the street and another man in a black car tried to grab him on Friday
Ms Blackman took to Instagram to post about the terrifying ordeal the family wen through
The actress (pictured), whose character was dramatically shot dead as she defended a police convoy from masked hitmen in episode four of the ratings-grabbing drama, said her son got off at a different bus stop than usual that day because the bus was on diversion
She said her son ran into Croydon Road Recreation Ground (pictured) to find help when he spotted two teenagers playing basketball
No arrested have been made, and the only details of the suspects are that one is a white 5ft 10in tall male and the other is around 6ft.
Ms Blackman had recently starred in the BBC drama Line of Duty, where she appeared as a police officer who is dramatically shot dead as she defended a police convoy from masked hitmen.
She today for help finding the suspects who allegedly followed her son into a basketball court before teenagers stepped in to protect him.
The actress said her son had got off at a different bus stop than usual that day because the bus was on diversion.
After the bus drove off, a black car pulled up alongside the boy and the man inside asked where he was going and offered him a lift home, Ms Blackman said.
Sensing danger, the boy started to run away but the two other men started chasing him.
He ran into Croydon Road Recreation Ground to find help when he spotted two teenagers playing basketball.
Ms Blackman said the two men followed her son toward the court and told the teenage boys he was with them, at which point the boy said he didn’t know them.
Pictured: The scene in which Ms Blackman gets shot and killed defending a police convoy in Line of Duty
Pictured: DC Chloe Bishop cradles dying firearms officer Ruby Jones in the dramatic episode
She added that the two teenagers then blocked the entrance and told her son to run home.
Ms Blackman told the Standard: ‘He did say ”I’m going home” and the man then said ”hop in, I’ll give you a ride” at which point my son was like that’s not normal and he kind of started to hop foot it away.
‘The two men then followed him into the tennis court and said to the teenage boys ”oh he’s with us” at which point he [Ms Blackman’s son] said ”I don’t know them”.’
As soon as he arrived home, Ms Blackman’s son told his parents what had happened.
She immediately called the police and was told they would visit her home on Sunday, May 2.
Ms Blackman said she felt as though the police were trying to ‘fob it off’ when they took a statement from her son and that no suspects have been identified.
Pictured: A sniper appears and shoots firearms officer Ruby ‘Jonesy’ Jones in the most dramatic episode of this year’s series of Line of Duty
Pictured: Armed officer Ruby Jones (Sherise Blackman) momentes before her death that shocked millions of viewers
Pictured: The moment Ruby Jones is shot by the sniper with blood flying from her body
She said her interaction with police left her ‘very dissatisfied’. She told the Standard: ‘They were asking questions like have you got any issues with other boys and do you have beef with other kids.
‘I could see where they were going with this and I was like no it wasn’t that. My son is a very smart little boy – he sensed danger. But they were trying to fob it off.’
She said the police told her they couldn’t investigate because a crime hadn’t happened.
However, detectives have now started to investigate the attempted abduction since Ms Blackman went to the press with her story.
Detectives from Bromley Police station have been in contact with Mrs Blackman today after she revealed her fury at their failure to act.
Her husband George told MailOnline: ‘Police are now looking into what happened. We had a call from a detective today – after the story appeared in the press.
‘They said they were sorry and that they were now investigating what happened.’
Mr Blackman, who works as a banker, added: ‘This has really affected our son badly. He is usually a confident, hard-working boy. But when he arrived home last week he was shaking.
‘Now he is frightened of strangers. It’s terrible.’
She then posted about the incident on Instagram to her followers and wrote: ‘I thought long and hard about posting this, however at the end of the day our son maybe shaken up but he is SAFE at home with us!
‘I don’t want any parent to be posting about their missing child in the coming days/weeks/months!!! So I’m raising the alarm, feel free to share!
She added that the two teenagers then blocked the entrance and told her son to run home. Pictured: Croydon Road Recreation Ground
‘This is real and very serious, we have reported to the police but please keep your kids close and talk to them about these dangers!
‘Grateful to GOD this wasn’t a different post for us.’
Ms Blackman went back to Instagram to post of her frustrations over the lack of police action.
She wrote: ‘The Police are NOT investigating what happened to my son as according to them no crime has actually been committed!
‘We will have to wait until he ends up like one of these poor souls on a poster before they do absolutely nothing again!!
‘We gotta band together as a community and protect our children!!’
Ms Blackman went on to describe the assailants as two white men wearing hoodies and masks and another white man wearing a mask in a black car.
The Metropolitan Police initially said: ‘Police were called at 16:40hrs on Friday, 30 April to reports of two males acting suspiciously in Whitmore Road, Beckenham. Officers arranged to take a statement from the complainant. No suspects were identified.
‘The investigation has been closed; an intelligence report was recorded and should any further evidential opportunities arise this decision will be reviewed.’