AN URGENT appeal has been issued by police following reports that a young girl was nearly abducted.

Thames Valley Police is investigating the incident, which is believed to have happened on Southampton Street at around 1pm on Wednesday.

A witness reported that the man grabbed the girl by the arm and asked her to come with him.

The girl freed her arm from the man’s grip, after which the man cycled away from the scene on a silver and black bike.

The man is white, about 5ft 10ins to 6ft tall, of average build and possibly in his forties.

He spoke with an accent, which could be Eastern European.

Detective constable Conor Hatton, based at Reading, said: “This is a concerning report from a witness and we are conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances.

“Our priorities are to find out who the girl is, and of course who the man is. It is possible that they know each other and there is an innocent explanation to what the witness saw.

“The man fled the scene on a bike without the girl, so we are satisfied that the girl is safe but we are appealing to the girl and her family to contact police so we can discuss the incident with them.

"The girl is described as about ten-years-old and was wearing leggings and a green parka jacket with a fluffy hood.

“We are also appealing to anyone who may have any information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, to contact us immediately by calling 101, quoting investigation number 43190054787.

“The community will see uniformed police officers and PCSOs as well as plain-clothed detectives in the area speaking to residents and carrying out CCTV enquiries.

"If you have any concerns or questions then please don’t hesitate to stop and ask one of our officers.”