Detectives have released an e-fit of a man they want to trace after a 12-year-old girl was approached as she walked to school in Wirral. 

The girl was on her own in Nelson Drive, between Grenville Drive and Columbus Drive in Pensby, when a blue car pulled alongside her.

The driver - a white man aged in his late-50s - shouted over to the girl, which asking her where she was going.

The girl grew suspicious and ran to school, calling police on the way.

No physical contact occurred but the victim was left shaken and upset by what happened.

The suspect is of fat build with grey hair and a bald head. He was wearing an "old-looking" black jumper and had an unwashed face and a number of missing teeth.

The car he was driving was blue or navy blue and is believed to be an old-model Honda hatchback. It had a dent in the back passenger side door, a wheel trim missing from the rear passenger side wheel and a dog cage in the boot space.

Detective Sergeant Nick Suffield from Wirral CID said: "This was clearly an unusual and unsettling experience for this girl and she has done absolutely the right thing in taking herself out of the situation and calling the police and telling her school.

"We carried out an immediate search of the area that morning and enquiries are continuing into the suspect's car as it is very distinctive.

"Incidents like this are rare in Pensby but, as a precaution to reassure children and parents, uniformed officers have been giving the area around the school extra attention at the start and end of the day.

"The victim has been incredibly brave and sensible and her help in putting together this likeness of the suspect is really useful.

"I would encourage local people to take a look at the man in this e-fit and contact me if they have any information at all which could help our enquiries."

The incident happened at 8.45am on Thursday, January 31, 2013. Call Birkenhead CID on 0151 777 2265 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.