DRIVERS may hold the key to finding out who is behind two attempted abductions this week.
Police have now issued descriptions of cars whose drivers may have witnessed one of the incidents.
It comes after someone tried to grab a 12-year-old girl from a path known as the yellow brick road, between Purbrook Way and Middle Park Way in Leigh Park at 1.50pm on Tuesday.
The second incident happened at 8.30am on Wednesday in Southleigh Road, Emsworth, when a man tried to grab an 11-year-old boy.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Jeff Huggett of Waterlooville CID said: ‘We’re in regular contact with both children and their families to offer reassurance and support while establishing as many details as possible about the circumstances.
‘Despite their distressing experiences, both have shown courage in helping the police to develop new leads.
‘The boy has been able to provide more details about two vehicles whose motorists sounded their horns at him when he ran into traffic away from his attempted abductor in Southleigh Road.
‘We’re appealing directly for the drivers of a gold-coloured Mini-style car or similar model and a blue Vauxhall to come forward and speak about what they saw. The boy remembers the descriptions of these cars in Southleigh Road at around 8.30am on Wednesday.’
‘We’re appealing directly for the drivers to come forward and speak with the police.’
Virginia Steel, 72, of Purbrook Way, Leigh Park, lives close to the site of the first abduction attempt.
She said: ‘There are a lot of families living in the area.
‘I know they are concerned about their children. Let’s hope whoever did this gets caught.’
The man who attempted to abduct the girl has tanned skin, is aged in his 40s and is 6ft tall with a round face, blue eyes and short, thick black hair.
He has a recent scratch on his lift cheek and spoke with a northern accent.
The man wore a black coat down to his knees, light blue jeans and muddy, steel toe-capped boots.
In the second incident, the man was tanned and in his late 40s, wore jeans with a hole in the knee and black boots. The van was dark red with a sliding back door and blacked-out windows.
A 49-year-old Havant man arrested on Thursday in connection with the two allegations but after questioning was freed with no further action to be taken.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterlooville CID on 101.
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