Attempted child abductions 'linked'

Parents are being urged to be extra vigilant after two possible attempted abductions of Bournemouth schoolchildren on Friday.

Dorset police are linking the incidents which happened as the youngsters walked to school in the morning.

A 10-year-old girl was grabbed by two men as she walked across the playing fields at Elmrise Primary School but managed to break free.

She escaped uninjured but was badly shaken.

In a similar incident at about 0830 BST, an eight-year-old boy was approached by a man as he walked along Moore Avenue and Pilot High Road on the way to the same school.

No matter how irrelevant or unimportant people may think their information to be, we really do need to hear from them as soon as possible

Det Sgt Craig Travers

He was not touched by the man and ran off to raise the alarm.

Detective Sergeant Craig Travers of Bournemouth CID said: "We are taking these two reports very seriously and we believe that the two incidents may well be linked.

"We are also interviewing the two school children in question and I would like to reassure the public that while these two incidents are of concern to Dorset Police, they are a rarity for Bournemouth.

"I need to hear from anyone who may have seen people acting, or vehicles being driven, in a suspicious, unusual or out of the ordinary manner in the vicinity of the Elmrise Primary School," he said.

Girls followed

"No matter how irrelevant or unimportant people may think their information to be, we really do need to hear from them as soon as possible because their information could be crucial to this investigation."

Detectives are also investigating suspicious activity near the Heathlands Primary School in Springwater Road, West Howe, Bournemouth.

On Friday it was reported that three 11-year-old girls were allegedly followed from the school three weeks ago.

Police also received reports that a man was seen watching children in the Heathlands playground on Friday morning.