A STRANGER tried to snatch an eight-year-old boy as he was playing hide-and-seek with his friends.

The attempted abduction took place at around 6.20pm on Sunday, August 8, as the boy played near his home in Kenilworth Road, Winklebury.

A man, who the boy didn’t know, tried to grab him by the arm, but the boy managed to break free and ran away.

The man is described as dark skinned, aged between 20 and 30 years old, of medium build and wore a white t-shirt.

Detective Constable Louise Trigg, from Basingstoke CID, said: “Although incidents like this are worrying, they are extremely rare and we are working hard to identify the man responsible.

“Despite the many rumours circulating, this appears to be an isolated incident, and we have not received any other reports of this nature.”

She added that the boy did the right thing in running away and asked parents to remind their children about the stranger danger message.

Anyone with information can call Det Con Trigg on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For more on this story, see The Gazette on Thursday.