Man tried to lure children into his car

SWORDS: Three kidnap attempts probed

Cormac Murphy

GARDAI are investigating three separate child abduction attempts in the same area of north Co Dublin in a matter of days.

It is understood that on each occasion a man tried to lure a child into his car but the youngsters managed to escape.

While the children were not injured, gardai are treating the incidents seriously.

Parents in the north Dublin suburb of Swords have been left anxious by the spate of kidnap attempts.

In each case, a man tried to lure the children into a blue car, promising them sweets, but the youngsters ran away.

Gardai are investigating the three suspicious approaches, which happened between March 3 and March 14.

Residents in Swords were also gripped with fear in April last year after another child abduction attempt.

Alert

On that occasion, RTE's CrimeCall released an image of an individual that gardai wanted to question.

The man had offered two young girls a lift in a car.

He approached the girls, aged seven and eight, in the Ridgewood area of Swords. Schools in the area were on alert since the disturbing incident.

Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe had issued a text warning to parents, stating: "Please mind your children. Strangers offering lifts to children reported in the Swords area."

Another school, Holy Family Junior School in Rivervalley, Swords, had also sent out a written notice.

"The girls said the man tried to entice them into his car by offering to give them a lift to a nearby playground. Luckily, the children ran off and told their parents.

"It's a very serious matter and gardai would like anyone who knows this man to contact them," a garda spokeswoman said at the time.

comurphy@herald.ie