OFFICERS are investigating after a man tried to touch and speak to a young boy in a park.

Police are now appealing for information after the suspicious incident in a Newcastle on Thursday.

At around 8.20pm, a nine-year-old boy was walking home through Walker Park in the east end of the city when he was approached by a man he did not know.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: “The man has approached the boy from behind, touched him and tried to speak to him before the boy left the area.

“He was not injured in any way and reported the incident to his parents when he got home who called police.

“This is being treated as an isolated incident but a police investigation has been launched to trace the man and officers are now asking for help from the public to identify him.”

He is described as black, around 6ft tall and wearing an all-black tracksuit with the hood up.

Extra patrols will also be taking place in the park to try and trace the offender but also to reassure any concerned residents in the area.

To help police call 101.