Police have closed their investigation into a reported incident where a nine-year-old boy was threatened with a knife in Workington.

They were appealing to speak to witnesses or anyone with information after reports of the youngster being threatened by a group near the junction of Sarsfield Road and Garth Road, Workington, at 7.30pm last Thursday.

Officers have said no further police action will be taken with regards to the incident following inquiries last Friday.

Parents on the estate said reports of the incident had left them reluctant to let their children play outside.

Helen Buchanan, 46, lives on Sarsfield Road with her sons Kian, six, and Luis, nine, and said she had had messages since from concerned friends warning her.

She said: "I feel sorry for the little fella. Nothing like this has ever happened and I've lived here nine-and-a-half years.

"It's scary because you're thinking about how many children are out on the fronts at night."

Helen said groups of children on the estate were not uncommon but they did not usually linger on street corners.

She added: "Luckily my eldest boy had a training game at Lillyhall with Seaton.

"Normally with the lighter nights he'd be out playing on the fronts with his ball.

"They all usually go up to the street corner because it's a bigger bit of grass for them.

"I've just said to my boys you're going to have to be careful but there's nowhere else for them to play.

"My other little boy is only six. So now I'm thinking: Do I let them out or keep them in where I can see them?

"But you can't lock them up 24 hours a day."

Samantha Baker, of Garth Road, who is mum to Levi, seven, Keesha, six, and Dylan, one, said she would not let the children play out of her sight after the incident.

She added: "It does worry me because my children play on the fronts."