MERSEYSIDE Police have confirmed they are investigating reports of suspicious activity after a man approached a girl in Wallasey last Friday.

The eight-year-old was walking along Wallsingham Road at around 4pm when a man got out of a white van and walked up to her.

The girl managed to walk away and brought the incident to the attention of her parents who then contacted the police.

The man is described as white, aged about 20, short and slim with light brown hair and wearing jeans, a black jumper and dirty blue trainers.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident to see if any criminal offences have been committed and are appealing for witnesses.

DI Mark Tivendale from Wirral CID, said: "This was clearly a worrying situation for this young girl as her parents have reported it to the police and we are taking her allegations seriously.

"We need to identify who this man is and what exactly happened in Wallsingham Road last Friday before we jump to conclusions about what he was trying to do.

"I would like to reassure residents in Wirral that these types of incidents are extremely rare and when they do occur, the police take them very seriously.

"People will see extra patrols in the area and I would encourage people to approach officers with any information or concerns they have."

Call CID on 0151 777 2265 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.