Man attempts to grab 11-year-old on her way to school

  • 28/02/2017
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Police are searching for the man involved (File)

A man tried to snatch an 11-year-old girl this morning as she walked to school in Auckland.

Police are investigating the incident, after the girl broke free from the man's grip and managed to run into school.

Police say the man had been following the girl for around 200m on St Heliers Bay Road. He is described as being in his 40s, with light brown skin and brown/grey hair with a bald patch on top.

He was wearing a blue top with short sleeves and black pants, possibly track pants.

The girl is uninjured, but police say she was left shaken by the incident.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard says he wants to reassure the community that police are "treating this matter seriously" and are reviewing CCTV footage of the area.

Officers will also be carrying out extra patrols in the area before and after school for the rest of the week.

"It is commendable that the young girl told an adult about what has happened" says Detective Inspector Beard.

 "We continue to encourage parents to talk with their children about how to get to and from school safely and we also continue to encourage people to report any suspicious behaviour to police straight away."

Anyone with information can contact Auckland City Crime Squad on 09 302 6832, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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