Parents in Canterbury are being urged to beware after a schoolgirl was grabbed by a man after she refused to get in his car.

Police say a 15-year-old girl was walking along Whitstable Road near the junction of Westgate Court Avenue at around 4.45pm on Thursday when a man sitting in the front near-side seat of a car started to speak to her.

She approached the car thinking the man was asking for directions but he asked her if she wanted to go for a ride.

She ignored him and started to walk away. He grabbed her wrist but she managed to get away from him and raise the alarm.

He was white, aged 30 to 40, clean shaven and was wearing a dark jacket. He spoke with a deep voice and had a local accent.

He was in a dark-coloured vehicle similar in size to a Ford Focus.

Police spokesman Jane Walker said: "We are advising parents to remind their children not to go with strangers and keep to well-lit areas where people can see them.

"If they are worried and concerned about anyone suspicious they should report it immediately to someone they trust."

On Monday a nine-year-old girl refused to get into the car of a man with a snake tattoo in Dunes Road, Greatstone.

Anyone with information about the incident in Canterbury is asked to contact DC Kelly Boyd on 01227 744732 quoting reference ZY/34581/13.