A YOUNG girl used her elbow to escape after a man attempted to grab her as she walked along a footpath in West Swindon.

The 10-year-old was on the path at the back of playing fields at Oliver Tomkins School at about 3.35pm on November 2 when the man, who was walking behind her, took hold of her arm.

She elbowed him away and ran. PC Tom Gregory from Wiltshire Police said: “Fortunately the young girl was very brave and was able to run away from the man to a relative’s address.

“Thankfully she wasn’t injured but she was understandably frightened. Officers attended the scene following the report and carried out an area search. If you were in the area around this time and may have witnessed this incident, we’d really like to hear from you.”

It is believed the man was wearing black boots, a black jacket and black fingerless gloves.

PC Gregory said: “We would urge people to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to police immediately.”

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.