Worcester Park residents are on red alert after the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old girl.

The incident happened on May 21 at around 6.40pm when the girl was walking her Staffordshire terrier puppy in Bridgewater Road.

A van pulled up and a man grabbed the child’s arm with one hand and the dog’s lead with the other.

The girl’s screams startled the man and he jumped back in his van and drove off.

According to police, the girl had just been to Cuddington Park with her friends and was waiting for them to rejoin her when the attempted abduction took place.

The man is described as a white man, aged 40-50, of medium build and scruffy appearance, wearing navy blue long sleeve T-shirt with holes in it, tracksuit bottoms, brown sandals with socks.

The van he was driving was an old grey Transit type vehicle.

A police spokesman said: “When the van driver stopped he grabbed the girl with one hand - and the dog lead with the other.

“We cannot be certain whether the target was the girl or the dog, although we are treating this as an attempted child abduction.”

If you can help please Detective Constable Martin Pipe at Sutton CID on 020 8649 0676 or 020 8649 0747.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.