Police are investigating an incident in which a man tried to grab a 12-year-old boy after offering him sweets on Pan estate in Newport. At around 14:00 on Tuesday (6th August), a 12-year-old boy was walking in Isobel Park, near the benches, when a man offered him sweets. The boy declined and the man then tried to grab him – the boy screamed and the man ran off. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is now appealing for information to help identify the man involved. The suspect is described as:
- White with tanned skin
- Freckly face
- Approximately 5ft 10ins – 5ft 11ins tall
- Aged in his mid 20s to mid 30s
- Scruffy mousey brown hair, with a fringe at the front that he kept flicking
- Pea green or olive coloured T-shirt with a logo on it
- Jeans with a rip on the area but the ripped part had material behind it
Officers have conducted searches in the area in addition to other enquiries to progress this investigation. Now, they would like to hear from anyone who knows who this man is, or has any information that could assist ongoing enquiries. Anyone with information is asked to contact Police on 101, quoting 44240335353. You can also submit information online at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/. UPDATE @ 17:00 – Following further inquiries, including speaking to the child involved, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary have confirmed that they are satisfied that the investigation didn’t take place as described and that the investigation has been closed. A Police spokesperson has said:
“We appreciate reports of this nature cause concern amongst the community – we continue to encourage people to report suspicious individuals or behaviour in their neighbourhood to police so we can follow every available line of enquiry to establish the circumstances. “On these occasions we would also encourage people not to speculate online and to report any information or concerns to the police in the first instance.”
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