PARENTS were today placed on red alert as police stepped up patrols after a man approached a nine-year-old girl as she made her way to school.

Officers investigating the incident, close to Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Booth Road, Stacksteads, said it was the latest in a series in which children have been approached.

The school has now issued warning letters to all parents and contacted a neighbouring primary school to advise them of the incident.

Police urged parents to remind children about the dangers of speaking to strangers.

Officers said that in the latest incident on Wednesday the child, who lives in Stacksteads, had been walking with her dad.

She had wandered ahead and claims a man in a silver vehicle with a taxi sign on the roof stopped and asked if she wanted a lift as she walked past.

Head teacher of Holy Trinity John Aspin, said: "She said that as she passed a silver car with a taxi sign on top the male driver asked if she wanted a lift.

"She didn't tell her dad what had happened until she got to the school. He recalled passing the car so the police were contacted."

Sergeant Richard Clare of Bacup police station, said the girl had only been able to give a vague description of the man and the car.

He added: "Over the last couple of days we've had patrols around Booth Road and the car has not been seen in the last couple of days.

"There have been a couple of incidents at Toll Bar, where a man has gone up to a child at a bus stop and made advances, which are in themselves particularly worrying. But all together they are not a big concern as nothing has happened and they don't sound like the same person.

"Lots of inquiries are going on and the incident has now been written up and logged as involving a suspicious person. We are going to follow it up with the girl and show her pictures of cars.

"We've nothing to say there's a pervert out in Waterfoot or Stacksteads, but people should be as aware as they should be with children and not let them go off on their own or with strangers. We also need more information -- descriptions, times, places -- to get a better picture of anything that may be going on."

Mr Aspin said that the school has issued notes to parents warning them about the incident.

He added: "I also contacted the other local primary school -- St Joseph's RC School -- to advise them what on what may have happened, just to say to parents there's been a report of this incident and just to be vigilant."