A little girl was approached by a man in a car on her way to school in what police suspect was an attempted abduction.

The youngster had been walking to Craigour Primary in south Edinburgh when a “well-dressed man” pulled up in a dark 4x4 and started speaking to her.

The man was reported to have told the girl that he was a family friend in a ploy to coax her into getting into his vehicle, however she ran to her school to raise the alarm.

A police spokesman said: “Police are investigating after a man stopped in a vehicle and spoke to a young child as she made her way to school in the Craigour area of Edinburgh.

“The incident happened at around 8.40am on Friday, February 5. The child was unharmed however police are carrying out various lines of inquiry as part of their ongoing investigation and are in contact with the City of Edinburgh Council education department.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.”

The incident took place three days after a similar case in the Cramond area of the capital, which also involved a young girl being approached in a car as she walked home from school.

Police said the two cases were not believed to be linked.