Pupils and parents in west Wales have been warned to be vigilant after reports that strangers have tried to entice schoolchildren into their cars.
Police confirmed they had received two separate reports, both of which related to incidents in Ceredigion on Tuesday and Wednesday.
One incident happened outside Cardigan Secondary School, while the other happened in the nearby village of St Dogmaels.
It would appear, from the descriptions given to police, that the drivers and the vehicles involved on both occasions were different.
How you can teach your children to be safe:
The head teacher at Cardigan Secondary School has sent an e-mail to parents, while her counterpart at Cardigan Primary School - less than half a mile away - has done the same.
“The safety of our pupils is paramount and without wanting to cause alarm I need to inform you of developments in the locality which have come to light in recent hours,” said Cardigan Primary School head teacher Donna Hanly.
“There have been two separate incidents this week of pupils being asked to enter a car whilst walking home from school. The police have been informed and are investigating. We will be informing pupils of the risks and advising them how to keep safe in assemblies this afternoon.
“Wherever possible pupils should walk together in pairs or in small groups. They should walk home via a route which is most visible to other members of the public. If approached they should walk to a more public area and call for assistance or phone 999 in an emergency.
“This is obviously a concerning incident and I will keep you informed if and when there are any further developments.”
Police are investigating and have advised pupils to be cautious.
A spokeswoman for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “We have received two reports of separate incidents in the Cardigan area, on September 24 and 25, whereby a secondary school pupil was asked to get in to a stranger’s vehicle.
“The two children have been spoken to, and at this stage descriptions indicate the vehicles and drivers were different. One instance took place near the secondary school, and another in the St Dogmaels area.
“Officers are investigating, and encouraging parents and children to be cautious, but not alarmed.”
Anyone with information that can help police with their investigation is asked to e-mail contactcentre@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk or call 101.
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