A KIDNAPPER attempted to abduct a 14-year-old girl in Widnes yesterday afternoon.

The teenager was approached by a man on Sandy Lane in Cronton shortly before 4.15pm on Wednesday, February 5.

He then grabbed her wrist and attempted to bundle her into a black car.

But the teen was able break free and ran away, with the offender believed to have fled in the vehicle.

While the girl was not injured during the incident, she was left ‘extremely shaken’.

Merseyside Police’s enquiries into the attempted abduction are ongoing.

Detective inspector Leanne Hobin said: "We take reports of suspicious incidents of this nature extremely seriously, and enquiries are ongoing in the area to establish exactly what happened and who is responsible.

“The young girl did the right thing by running away and reporting the incident to police, and over the upcoming days our officers will be carrying out high visibility patrols in the area and offering advice to local schools.

“I would ask anyone with information on this incident, who saw or heard any suspicious behaviour in the area or who has any CCTV or dashcam footage to please get in touch.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Merseyside Police on 101, quoting incident number 20000077951 or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.