Child charity warns of Halloween safety risks

A leading children’s charity is warning youngsters to be careful this half-term and Halloween weekend following a number of attempted abductions across parts of Kent.

Over the past month, there have been reports of children having been approached by strangers in Hythe, Tonbridge and Dartford.

The NSPCC has now issued a timely reminder to parents to tell their children about “stranger danger” and urge them to walk away without talking to suspicious people.

Emily Cherry, head of participation at the charity, said: “There are some simple steps you can take to make sure your child has the confidence to say no to strangers and tell someone about it.

“The most important thing for children to think about is that if they are approached by anyone they don’t know they walk away and immediately phone or talk to a trusted adult.

“It’s also good to equip your child with your number and two other family members’ numbers.”

Last week Brockhill Park Performing Arts College in Hythe sent out a text message to pupils after an 11-year-old girl was reportedly approached by a motorist in Seabrook while waiting for a bus to school at about 7.30am.

The police said that the encounter was possibly linked with a similar incident that happened on Tuesday September 27 in Red Lion Square, Hythe, when a woman in her 30s is alleged to have tried to coax a teenage girl into a car.

And in two separate incidents this month a man is said to have tried to grab a young boy and girl in Tonbridge and a schoolgirl was grabbed by a stranger in Dartford.

For tips on how to make sure your child is safe when they go out alone, see http://bit. ly/2fbZCyt