A MAN approached a 12-year-old girl outside a Swindon supermarket before a woman stepped in to warn the child to stay away from the stranger.

The man tried to speak to the girl at the Tesco in Freshbrook at around 8.15pm on February 5 but she moved away from him.

The man is described as white, with a long ginger beard and of unkempt appearance. He was believed to be in his 50s and wearing a dark jacket and a baseball cap.

The woman who helped the girl stayed with her until her parents came out of the shop, then drove off without speaking to the parents.

The girl was not harmed.

Wiltshire Police are trying to find the helpful woman and are asking anyone with information about the incident to get in touch.

PCSO Samson Fernandes, from Swindon North Community Policing Team, said: "We want to reassure people that the girl was not harmed in any way, she was simply approached by this man and did the right thing and ignored him and moved away from him.

"However, this is a suspicious incident and we need to speak to the woman who assisted the child. Was this you or do you know who she is? Please call police to help us with our enquiries."

Anyone with information is asked to call Wiltshire Police on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.