A SCHOOLGIRL has spoken of the terrifying moment a stranger tried to drag her into his car.

Stephanie Lake, 14, was walking through Thornaby at about 8pm last Monday when the man attempted to kidnap her.

The Thornaby Community School pupil said she was walking close to the junction of Trenchard Avenue and Fawcett Avenue when a red, four-door saloon car pulled up beside her.

"This man in a car asked me where Asda was and then asked how old I was," she said.

"I said I was 14, but he asked if I went to sixth-form and asked for my mobile number."

The teenager told the man she did not know her number and tried to walk away.

"But he grabbed my wrist and he tried to pull me back into his car," she said.

Stephanie ran home and police were called. She was too upset to go to school yesterday.

Her mother, Sharon Durham, said: "Stephanie was in tears and hysterical. It's not very often she goes out, anyway. It's awful what happened to her."

Police are keen to speak to witnesses, particularly a man who spoke to the suspect after the attack and a woman at the bus stop near to the Golden Eagle Hotel.

The suspect is described as in his early 20s, of mixed race, with black hair. He was wearing sporty sunglasses, a black jumper, white collared shirt and dark blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on (01642) 302226.

* POLICE are investigating the attempted abduction of a nine-year-old boy at Riverside Meadows Caravan Park, in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at about 10.30pm on Saturday.

A man approached the boy and offered him sweets if he would get in his car. The boy refused and ran away to tell his parents.

The man was in his 30s and skinny. He had short hair with white flecks in it and a shaved zigzag pattern at the back.

He was wearing dark trousers with white stripes and a dark top, possibly with an eagle on the front. He was driving a dark 4x4 vehicle, which may have had its spare tyre missing. Witnesses are asked to call (01423) 539334.