'Stranger Danger' Alert At Local Primary School

Parents of local school children are being warned to be on their guard after a man tried to entice a Westlands Primary School pupil into his car earlier today (Thursday 28th February).

It is believed that at around 8.35am a young man, in a brightly-coloured car, pulled up alongside the girl, who was walking to school, wound down the passenger side window and told her to get in. When she didn't respond to the comment and continued walking the man was said to have repeated the line with more force in his voice. The schoolgirl then ran into the school and reported it to staff who immediately called Kent Police and the girl's parents. 

Officers arrived at the school, in Homewood Avenue, at aproximately 8.55am and took a statement from the girl and looked through the school's CCTV recordings. The girl's parents are said to have taken her home shortly afterwards.

Head Teacher Lynne Pearson told SFM News: "We sent a note home with all pupils to give to their parents at the end of the day, saying that there had been an issue with a child trying to be enticed into a car by a man and encouraged them to report anything that they felt was unusual, to either the school or the police directly. We also put a message on Twitter and informed our sister school Regis Manor (which is now also part of the Swale Academies' Trust) about the incident, so they could alert their parents too. We discuss 'Stranger Danger' a lot in our assemblies but we have also reminded parents of discussing this with their children at home too."

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call Sittingbourne Police directly on the non-emergency number 101 or they can call CrimeStoppers free (from any landline) and anonimously on 0800 555 111.