Police hunt would-be child abductor

Police are hunting a man who attempted to entice two young girls into his car in the Taranaki town of Eltham yesterday.

The two eight-year-old girls were playing on a footpath outside a York St address about 10.15am when the man beckoned them over.

He drove off after the grandmother of one of the girls arrived on the scene and he realised he was being watched.

Police say they believe that the man had sinister motives and are treating it as an attempted abduction.

"He attempted to get them to come close to his car and to make conversation with them," Senior Constable Chris Glen told The Taranaki Daily News.

One of the girls ran inside to tell her grandmother, who then went outside to investigate.

"She came out to see the man motioning the girls towards his car with his hands."

The man then drove off and an extensive search of the area failed to find any trace of him.

The man was described as a clean shaven Caucasian, in his 30s, with light brown hair and was driving a dark blue two-door hatchback with a silver stripe along the side.

Mr Glen said the two girls did everything right by telling an adult and not approaching the man.

He urged all parents to keep an eye out for their children during the school holidays and teach them about stranger danger.

- NZPA