Canadian police say an alleged scissor attack on an 11-year-old girl’s hijab never happened.

The girl made headlines last week after she said a man came up to her and tried to cut her hijab off.

Toronto police now say the incident, which they were treating as a hate crime, “did not happen”.

The investigation sparked a national outcry, including from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who expressed his concern on Twitter.

“After a detailed investigation, police have determined that the events described in the original news release did not happen,” the police said in a brief press release on Monday morning. “The investigation is concluded.”

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Police say they are no longer seeking a suspect. During an emotional press conference last Friday, where she was accompanied her mother, Khawlah Noman said she was afraid to go back to school.

Her mother told media this was “just not Canada”.