PEOPLE who live and work near the spot where two schoolgirls girls were abducted have spoken of their shock. Although there is frequent petty crime around Gillingham Park area, a man luring two children there is rare.

In the incident on January 10, a middle-aged man took hold of the girls aged six and nine, who had been playing together, and dragged them from Seaview Road to Gillingham Park. Fortunately, they managed to pull themselves free.

Jackie Cane, owner of Party Piece, a fancy dress shop in Seaview Road, said: "I don't remember anything like this, but over the past 13 years things have got worse and worse as far as trouble is concerned. Youngsters seem to have no respect and we hardly ever see the police. They are relying on CCTV too much.

"If they were on the beat this kind of thing would be less likely to happen. Once they arrive by car, the people responsible are gone. If police had been around when these girls were abducted, at least they might have been able to call for help."

A trader in Nelson Road said the authorities were more interested in trapping people who had parked illegally than in preventing crime. Perhaps the traffic wardens should have some role in fighting crime too, he said.

Children at nearby Napier Community Primary School are taught from an early age to remember their name, age and address in case they are lured away by a stranger. Head teacher Nigel Pichowski said he had not heard about the abduction incident, but it was important to keep children aware that it could happen.

He said: "One of the things we have done is to have random tests in assembly to try to impress on every child the importance of knowing their name, address and telephone number.

"It can be difficult with younger children, but we see it as vital that should something as awful as this happen, they will know what to say when they need help. In terms of police events, we are very careful not to alarm children."