POLICE have released an e-fit picture of the man they believe tried to abduct a 12-year-old girl in Great Missenden two weeks ago.

The attack happened between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Friday, November 4, as the girl was walking along Whitefield Lane after school.

The man drove up to her and tried to talk to her, and when she did not reply he opened the door and tried to force her inside by grabbing her coat. She broke free from his grip and ran away.

Detective Constable Zoe Hardy said: "Following the witness and information appeal we issued last week, we have received several calls and bits of information which we are currently following up. But I would ask all parents, teachers and members of the public to be aware of this incident, and please assist where they can."

The man is Asian or of mixed race and around 20 years old. He is thin, with long dark hair and was wearing a necklace and bracelets. The car he was driving was black, possibly a saloon, with a broken offside wing mirror.

Police say the car was distinctive because it was a left-hand drive with tinted or blacked-out windows and displayed an unusual car decoration.

In September, the Free Press reported a similar incident in Holmer Green, in which a man tried to grab a ten-year-old.

Schools in the area, such as The Misbourne School and Holmer Green Secondary School, have warned their pupils to be aware of the danger and sent letters home to parents.

Rozalyn Thomson, the headteacher of Great Missenden Church of England School said that they had given the children an exact description of the attacker and his car.

She said: "I could not hold back on this, even though we do not want to raise the alarm with little children but you have to let them know not to go off with anyone."