PARENTS were on red alert today after a man tried to lure a 12-year-old boy into his van as he left an Ipswich high school.In another incident, a man of the same age exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl in the town.

PARENTS were on red alert today after a man tried to lure a 12-year-old boy into his van as he left an Ipswich high school.

In another incident, a man of the same age exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl in the town.

Police are trying to trace the driver of the white van who called to the boy as he left Holywells High School at 3.45pm yesterday, asking if he could do him a favour.

The man, in his fifties, than tried to lure the boy to the passenger's side of the van with the words: "I will show you how you can help me."

The boy became suspicious and moved away before the van disappeared along Lindbergh Road.

A police spokesman said: "We are regarding this as a suspicious incident though it could be there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the man's actions.

"Bearing that in mind we would urge the driver of the van to come forward so we can clear the matter up."

He praised the boy for contacting police.

He said: "He did the right thing. He went on his way calmly and didn't react."

It is not the first incident of its kind in recent months.

In September, two bogus police officers tried to bundle an 11-year-old boy into his car in Bramford.

Two men pulled up to the boy and his friend in a red Ford Escort as they were walking along Bramford Road.

The driver said he was a police officer, got out and pulled one of the boys towards the car.

At 4.30pm yesterday, a man approached a 14-year-old girl in Sprites Lane and asked her the time, before indecently exposing himself to her. She ran home.

The 50-year-old man was bald, of big build, and was wearing a green jacket and jeans.

Anyone with information on these incidents is urged to call police on 01473 383413 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.