An investigation is underway in Waterford after a 13-year-old boy was allegedly coerced into a car by two men in the city on Sunday evening.
The boy had been walking home from the local soccer club when the men reportedly pulled up on the street where he lives and forced him into the car.
He was driven to a housing estate 2km from his home and made to go door-to-door asking residents for sponsorship money.
The alarm was raised by one of the residents who reported the suspicious charity-collecting to the Gardaí. The car was then tracked down and the boy was returned safely to his family.
Gardaí in Waterford have said they are aware of the incident and are following a definite line of inquiry.
No arrests have been made at this stage.