Second pupil approached by a stranger in Newbuildings

Police have confirmed that a nine-year-old pupil from Newbuildings Primary School was approached by a stranger on Monday.
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It is the second recent incident and occurred at about 3.15pm, as the child, a boy, walked home through Primity Park in Newbuildings.

According to Emma Walker, teacher-in-charge at the primary school, the stranger was a man walking a dog.

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“There is a park in Primity and a man was walking a dog there,” she said.

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“He told the child ‘I am going to get you’. The child was able to run off.

“It may have been done in jest, but the fact that this is the second approach to a pupil this month has put us on alert and we have made the police aware of both incidents.

“The first incident took place in the vicinity of the Community Centre on January 5 at about 5pm.

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“A pupil was approached by a man in a white van who tried to get the child into the van, but the child was able to run away.

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“We are a bit concerned about the timing of these incidents which occurred during the day and the second in broad daylight.

“We are a close community and nobody seemed to recognise this man despite the fact that the boy was able to give police quite a good description of him.

“We have circulated a stranger danger poster and we have spoken to the police with regard to getting stranger danger talks done in the school through the community policing department.”

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A spokesman for the PSNI confirmed that the incident had been reported.

“We received a report on Monday afternoon, January 25, that a nine-year-old boy was walking at Primity Crescent when a man made a remark to him.

“No attempt was made to touch the boy,” the spokesman said.

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