A man who tried to grab a nine-year-old girl as she played in the street near her home is being hunted by police.
The possible attempted abduction happened between 4.45pm and 5pm in Great Broughton, near Cockermouth, yesterday.
A police spokesman said the man approached the girl and engaged her in a brief conversation before grabbing hold of her hand and trying to pull her away.
The spokesman said: "The male was disturbed and left the scene in a blue van."
He said that such incidents are rare in Cumbria but confirmed that what happened is being treated as suspicious.
The man involved, who police want to trace, was in his 50s, with short brown hair, a black leather jacket, and blue denim jeans.
Anybody who has information about him or the incident should call PC 2154 Paul Platt on 101.
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