<p>
	Man tried to abduct schoolgirl near home in Wicklow earlier this week</p>
<p>
	Gardai and locals in north Wicklow are looking for a man who tried to abduct an eight-year-old girl right outside her family home.</p>
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	Last Monday, the little girl was walking to school, which is only a few metres from her family home in Greystones, when a man in a white van pulled up beside her and asked her to get in.</p>
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	She refused to get in and arrived at school shortly afterwards to tell her teachers.</p>
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	Aside from being a &ldquo;little stressed from all the attention,&rdquo; she is doing well now, her father said.</p>
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	&quot;We live 200 yards from the school. The incident occurred alongside it,&quot; he told the Irish Mirror.</p>
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	&quot;Our initial reaction was someone was playing a practical joke but as the phone call progressed we realised it did happen.</p>
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	&quot;She gave a good description to gardai.</p>
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	&quot;We&#39;re just glad she knew what to do and she is very brave. We are not the story his actions are and it shoul be focused on him.&quot;</p>
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	He thanked both the school and the gardai for their help.</p>
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	&ldquo;She&rsquo;s fine. She&rsquo;s from a good and decent family,&rdquo; said neighbour and local Sinn Fein councillor Nicola Lawless.</p>
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	&ldquo;Greystones gardai are on the ball and they&rsquo;re putting up information around safety since it happened,&rdquo; she said.</p>
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	&ldquo;The community guards are getting calls in, reporting sightings and they are taking them very seriously,&rdquo; she added.</p>
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	Last Monday morning, at approximately 8.40am, a white long-base panel van pulled up alongside the girl in Kenmare Heights in Greystones.</p>
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	The man is described as being in his mid-30s with a British accent and tanned skin. He is of slim build and was wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt.</p>
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	Friends and locals have had a photo-fit drawn up and it is being circulated online and in the community.</p>
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	&ldquo;Everyone is very well clued in and in this case social media is a good tool. People have a good idea of what the person possibly could look like,&rdquo; said Ms Lawless.</p>
<p>
	VIGILANT</p>
<p>
	While parents in the seaside town are not hysterical they are on high alert, explained the councillor.</p>
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	&ldquo;The primary school is smack bang in the middle of the housing estate and there&rsquo;s also an isolated laneway,&rdquo; she added.</p>
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	She urged people to remain vigilant.</p>
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	Another neighbour said the little girl was &ldquo;practically outside her own home,&rdquo; when the incident occurred.</p>
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	Gardai said they are investigating the matter and that no arrests have been made.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/my-brave-girl-8-fled-from-pervert-30367783.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/my-brave-girl-8-fled-from-pervert-30367783.html</a></p>
