AN e-fit has been issued of a man that Merseyside police want to speak to in connection with an alleged attempted abduction of a 12-year-old girl.

The girl was walking along Fernhurst Road in Kirkby at around 7.45am on Tuesday, January 19 when a man got out of the passenger side of a white van, which was parked on the street, and encouraged her to approach him before he grabbed hold of her.

The girl managed to break free and ran off towards school. She reported the incident to a teacher who called police and extensive enquiries are being carried out to identify this man.  

Knowsley Detective Inspector Robbie Moss said: "I am keen to reassure the local community that we take all incidents of this nature extremely seriously, although they are thankfully rare. The girl was unnerved by what happened and did exactly the right thing by running away and telling an adult as soon as possible.

"The incident took place at a time where people will have been on the way to school and work, and it is likely that other people may have witnessed the incident. I would urge anyone who may have information to get in touch and we will look into all information provided.

“Neighbourhood officers regularly visit schools to work alongside teachers in giving children appropriate stranger danger advice and we would encourage parents to support the schools and ourselves by reinforcing the safety messages to ensure their child’s safety.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident or recognise the man from this image should contact Knowsley CID on (0151) 777 6561, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.