POLICE are hunting a man who has made repeated attempts to snatch children in the area after he threatened a teenage girl with a knife and tried to bundle her into the back of his car in Tidworth this week.

The 15-year-old was walking to school along the Ludgershall Road at 8.10am on Monday when she saw a dark green or blue vehicle similar to a Land Rover parked by a tank track.

A man appeared from a hedge at the rear of the vehicle, approached her and offered her a lift.

She declined and kept walking but the man persisted, grabbed her arm, pulled out a knife from his pocket and told her to get in his car.

Terrified, she kicked him twice in the knee and he dropped the knife, giving her enough time to run away.

She ran straight to school where she reported the incident. The man was last seen driving off in the direction of Ludgershall.

Salisbury Police believe it's the fourth time the same man has attempted to abduct a girl or group of girls recently, and possibly the fifth. Two of the abduction attempts occurred in late June in Collingbourne Kingston. The man is described as white, aged about 35, of stocky build, between 5ft 5ins and 5ft 7ins tall, with a round face, pointed ears and dark hair.

Distinguishing features include a mole under his left eye, a pencil-thin goatee and gold-hoop earring with something hanging from it in his left ear.

During Monday's incident he was wearing sunglasses with black lenses and frames, a black polo shirt with a pocket on the left breast tucked into dark blue jeans with a black belt and silver buckle, white trainers and a navy blue baseball cap with white 'NY' lettering.

He also wore a gold chain around his neck.

His car, a 4x4-type, had black bull bars on the front with two spotlights attached.

The number plate began with the letter S and ended with an A.

The wheels were silver-coloured and there were two rhinos on the rear mud guards.

The vehicle had tinted windows on the sides with a clear front and rear window. There was also a white scratch down the offside of the vehicle.

A police spokesman said: "Obviously any incident such as this gives serious cause for concern.

"We would strongly remind children not to enter into conversation with strangers and report any incidents immediately to their parents or their teachers, and to the police."