POLICE are hunting a man who tried to drag a 12-year-old schoolgirl into a van in a chilling daylight attack.

The man pulled a black balaclava over his face before grabbing the terrified youngster by the arm and attempting to force her into the vehicle in Carnwath, Lanarkshire.

The girl managed to free herself by kicking the man and shouting for help.

The attacker got back into the vehicle and drove off.

The abduction attempt took place on Friday at around 4pm.

The girl was walking on Carnwath Main Street, near to the A70 Edinburgh Road, when she noticed a small, white van, parked on the same side of the road but facing in the opposite direction.

As she drew closer to the van, a man got out of the vehicle and whilst walking towards her, pulled a woolly hat or balaclava down over his face.

News of the incident has swept through the tight-knit Carnwath community.

One resident said: "The girl's family are very anxious about this and are praying the police catch someone soon.

"Carnwath is a small place and the village is stunned that something like this happened in full view on the main street.

"The girl is very shaken by what's happened and everyone in the community is now on alert for anything that looks out of the ordinary.

"The sooner the culprit is found the sooner everyone can feel safe again."

Strathclyde Police say the suspect is around 20, approximately 5'9" in height, with a slim build.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a pale blue, sleeveless top and navy blue tracksuit bottoms which were tucked into tan coloured rigger boots and had holes at the knees.

He was also wearing a black woolly hat or balaclava and smelt strongly of oil.

Karen Gillon, the MSP for Clydesdale, said the man needed to be caught as a 'matter of urgency.'

She added: "This is a very serious incident and anyone who has any information should contact the police immediately.

"It is absolutely essential that we find the person responsible for this and deal with them as a matter of urgency."

Detective Inspector Paul Swinburne of Lanark CID said: "It's vital that we trace this man as soon as possible.

"His attempt to drag the girl into his van was made in broad daylight on a relatively busy road.

"I feel certain that due to the time and the location, several people would have seen either him or the vehicle and I would ask them to come forward to assist with our enquiry, no matter how trivial they believe their information to be."

Anyone with information should call Lanark CID on 01555 552400 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.