By NOEL MURPHY
DRYSDALE Primary School has warned parents to pick up their children from school after an alleged child-abduction attempt last week.
Principal Phil Dunlop-More also called for parents to talk to their children about strategies to adopt if strangers approach them.
The warning and advice followed reports a man tried to entice a young boy into a van.
The alleged would-be abductor was driving a white van and wearing glasses and an orange jacket.
The abduction attempt was the second reported at Drysdale in the past month.
The earlier incident involved a white van reportedly trying to pick up a girl after school outside Drysdale Hotel.
Mr Dunlop-More described the latest incident as “serious”.
“A man tried to persuade one of our students into his vehicle,” he said in a letter to parents.
“This happened as the student was riding home from an after school activity. Our student responded extremely well by refusing and making sure that he caught up with other students also cycling home from the same event.”
Mr Dunlop-More called on parents to “all take extra care to ensure that our children are as safe as possible”.
“In particular, please can parents ensure that children taking part in activities that continue after the normal end of school are collected from school, rather than making their own way home,” he wrote.
“Please can you also speak with your children about appropriate strategies to use.
“As a school we have spoken with the children in each year to remind them of the messages of stranger danger.
“Our staff are aware of this incident and will be extra vigilant especially during recess and lunchtimes when the children are outside.”
