A THIRTEEN-year-old boy was the victim of an attempted abduction in Southampton.

The youngster was walking home along Daisy Road in Bassett beween 9pm and 10pm on Saturday when he noticed a red or maroon car pull up.

He told police how a man who he described as black and tall and wearing a black leather jacket came over to him and asked for directions.

It was then, the teenager said, that the man grabbed at him and tried to pull him into the car by his coat.

The youngster struggled and was able to pull himself free and escape.

Detectives say the teenager was left shaken by the attempted snatch and are urging people who witnessed the incident to come forward.

Det Sgt Andy Symes said: "The young boy was very shaken by what happened to him, as you would expect. We are taking this incident very seriously and while we do not want to alarm the public we would ask people to stay alert.

"We would want anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward."

The attack happened in the same area of the city where attempted snatches were reported by three children during July.

However, detectives say they are not linking the incidents because the descriptions and style of the attackers have been completely different.

"The location has been the same but the descriptions have varied widely. As a result, we are treating this as an isolated incident at the moment," said Det Sgt Symes.

Anyone with information can contact Det Con Tim Doyle at Bitterne CID on 0845 045 4545.