Perry Barr schoolgirl, aged 10, attacked by masked man as she made her way to lessons

A young schoolgirl was left shaken after a man - double her age - grabbed her and tried to drag her as she made her way to lessons. The incident took place on a grassy area in Perry Barr’s Sandy Lane, near Booths Lane.

West Midlands Police are appealing for information about the incident which took place at 8.15am on Tuesday morning (27 September). The man is described as around 20-years-old, tall and thin. He was wearing all black clothing as well as a black cap, leather gloves, big back boots and a mesh type mask. He was carrying a black rucksack.

“The girl was grabbed around the waist from behind by a man who attempted to drag her. She kicked out and screamed and the attacker ran off,” West Midlands Police said.

“The girl, aged 10, is understandably shaken, but is safe and we are supporting her. She’s bravely given us a statement to assist our investigation. We’re trawling local CCTV and enquiries are ongoing, we’d ask anyone who was in the area and may have seen a man matching this description to contact us.

“Fortunately incidents like this are extremely rare, but we’ve increased patrols in the area and our schools link officer has attended the nearby school to offer reassurance and advice,” the police said.

The police also said that any witnesses or anyone who saw a man acting suspiciously nearby is asked to get in touch with them via Live Chat on the West Midlands Police website or by calling 101. Please quote crime reference 20/803719/22. If you are concerned about children’s safety visit our website here for more information.

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