Hunslet Carr Primary School: Police issue update after reports man tried to force girl, 11, into car

Hunslet Carr Primary School bosses released a warning to parents in a statement following the incident on Friday.

And today (Saturday) police have now said that officers have established there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident near the school in Hunslet

An 11-year-old girl was approached by a man who got out of a car near the junction of Sandon Mount and Sandon View in Hunslet.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Enquiries have established that a parent was dropping off his child at the time and his actions appear to have been misinterpreted as suspicious. The child and her family have been reassured about the circumstances. Officers from the local neighbourhood policing team have been providing an increased presence in the area to reassure people following this report."

However, that force has urged people to continue to be vigilant and report any concerns to police.

The spokesman added: "Although this incident has now been confirmed as not being suspicious, it should not deter people from reporting anything that concerns them relating to children or school communities. We will always treat any reports seriously and carry out comprehensive enquiries to establish the full circumstances and keep our communities safe."

It comes after headteacher Martin Lumb issued a statement to parents online yesterday.

The statement said: “On the way to school, one of the girls in Year 6 was approached by a man who tried to force her into his car. The car was running and a driver was waiting to drive the car away.

“The Year 6 child ran to the safety of a couple of parents who were arriving at school and the two men drove away. Incidents like this are very rare. I have worked at the school since 2010 and this is the first incident like this.

"I have visited all of the classrooms this morning to talk to the children about Stranger Danger so they may discuss this with you when they get home or over the weekend.”