David Cornwell & Sandy Hobbs | Letters to Ambrose Merton # 16, 1998

Under the headline “Bizarre truth behind story that’s shocked the city”, the Evening Times (Glasgow), 14 November 1998, reported that a story of child abduction which had swept the city was actually “the world’s greatest” urban legend. The newspaper had received more than a dozen phone calls from worried parents afraid to take their kids into Glasgow city centre. They had heard the following story:

“A young mum shopping in Marks and Spencer’s Glasgow Argyle Street store finds that her three-year-old daughter has vanished from her side. After a few minutes frantic search, she rushes to a security man, who contacts his control room. The store’s electronic shutters are rolled down – preventing shoppers leaving.

“Security staff then begin to search the store from top to bottom – and make a bizarre and terrifying discovery in the toilets. Two paedophile perverts have captured the tot and are calmly cutting off her long hair and changing her clothes in an attempt to smuggle her out of the store disguised as a little boy.

“The men are said to be part of a gang of paedophiles, and since arrested are said to have been secretly helping the police with investigations into a city-wide pervert ring.”

A Strathclyde police spokesman stated “There is no truth in this story whatsoever”. A Marks and Spencer press officer was quoted as saying: “There was a similar case in one of our Manchester stores – the same story down to the last detail, Somebody is obviously maliciously starting these rumours. It’s quite serious because it worries people inordinately and is starting to upset both parents and our staff.”

However, the author of the article, Beverley Lyons, sees the story as an urban legend rather than a malicious rumour. She notes that the Urban Legend Archive website mentions a story labelled “Code Adam” which is virtually identical with the story going the rounds in Glasgow.

Beverley Lyons reinforces her argument for a readership which may not be familiar with the concept of an “Urban Legend” by outlining a number of other examples. These included: Elephant sits on mini; Eddie Murphy in Los Angeles lift; Ghost boy in Three Men and A Baby; Drug tattoos turn children into addicts; Alligators in sewers.