TWO men have approached a number of young girls in what are believed to be attempts to lure them into a car.

Police say they are treating incidents seriously and have issued an appeal for witnesses.

One of the incidents involved a 16-year-old girl in Highbridge.

One Bridgwater mother is urging other parents to be aware of the potential danger.

Nichola Watson said two men had beckoned to her 11-year-old daughter after pulling up alongside her in a large black car with blacked-out windows.

The incident happened near the ‘wooden park’ off Gloucester Road, Bridgwater, last Monday at about 5pm.

Nichola posted a warning on Facebook which prompted more reports from people in Bridgwater who have also spotted two men pulling up in a big black car, thought to be a Range Rover or similar, and say they have been encouraging children to go with them.

Nichola told the Weekly News: “They were certainly acting suspiciously.

“They told my daughter they had something for her and she should go over to them.

“I am very proud of her because she managed to get away quickly. She was with another couple of girls aged eight and five and she kept them safe too.

“She ran to a friend’s house and called me from there.

She is very disturbed by this and has had trouble sleeping as a result.

“I feel sick to think what could have happened. Sometimes I shut my eyes and think what those men could have done. The next child might not be so lucky and I think it’s important people should be on their guard.”

The two white men, one thought to be 35 to 50 and the other slightly younger, have been spotted in various locations and sometimes have a big dog. The older man, sporting stubble, was wearing a black jacket while the younger one was wearing a red jacket and had less stubble when seen by Nichola’s daughter. There have also been sightings of the men in Parkway on Tuesday night when they stopped to speak to a young girl and as well as the Highbridge incident and also a similar report in Wellington. Police have said they are taking the matter very seriously and are asking for witnesses to come forward.

A spokesman said: “We have received information about three suspicious incidents.

“All three reports give various descriptions of black vehicles which have approached females.

“We are taking these reports seriously and looking into whether any criminal offences have been committed.

“We have officers working on these enquiries and our local neighbourhood teams are out and about to provide reassurance and support.”