Man approaches boy, 11, outside Newport school
A young boy was approached outside his school in Newport by a man who offered him a ride in his truck.
The 11-year-old was approached outside Newport Junior School on Avenue Road at around 8.50am on Wednesday.
The man is described as being white, in his early 20s, of thin build, with dark brown hair and wearing a short-sleeved, blue top.
The man asked the boy if he liked trucks and if he wanted to go with him and, when the boy did not respond, the man walked off in the direction of the Co-Op car park.
Police have said that this is an isolated incident, but stressed the importance of parents speaking to their children about the dangers of going off with strangers.
PC Lee Thomas said: "We would like to reassure the community that this appears to be an isolated incident.
"We would encourage parents to continue speaking with their children about talking to strangers. We would ask children to never go off with anyone they do not know or get into a vehicle with a stranger.
"If they are approached by someone they do not know, advise them to report it to a trusted adult such as a parent or a teacher as soon possible so that it can be reported to police.
"We are continuing to make further enquiries in the area and will be conducting further patrols as part of the investigation."
A spokesman for Newport Junior School said that the most important thing was that the pupil was safe and did not come to any harm, adding: "Although this incident happened outside of the school, we have been made aware of it and have spoken with the family.
"The family have reported this issue to the police and they are investigating the incident.
"The most important thing is that the pupil in question is safe and well and did not come to any harm.
"In the meantime, we would ask everyone to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious either to the school or the police."
Anybody with any information about the man should contact West Mercia Police on 101 quoting incident number 0292S of 30 June 2016.Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
