Police are appealing for witnesses following the attempted abduction of a 13-year-old girl in Croydon.

The young girl was waiting at a bus stop in Homestead Way about 8.40am on Thursday when she noticed a small white pick-up truck coming from the direction of Overbury Crescent.

A suspect jumped out of the vehicle grabbed the victim and attempted to pull her into the truck.

The victim screamed and the suspect got back into the vehicle and drove off in the direction of King Henrys Drive.

The suspect is aged in his late twenties or early thirties and is described as white, with very pale skin, around 5ft 10in or 5ft 11in tall, of very skinny build, clean shaven with dark eyes and a bruise or a scratch on his cheek.

He was wearing a black soft fabric round-neck jumper with long sleeves and a blob of white paint on the front, black trousers, possibly tracksuit bottoms, with white paint on them, black boots with one white lace and one black lace.

The pick-up truck is described as small, white, with no lettering on the side and green bars coming from the rear. It had tools in the back and black seats with a white zigzag pattern.

The incident is being investigated by Croydon police. Anyone with any information is urged to call 0208 649 0090 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.