Hunt for driver who tried to snatch girl, 14, in street

The schoolgirl was approached at a bus stop

The 14-year-old was waiting for a bus home after visiting a friend in the town on Sunday night when the driver got out, grabbed her arm and tried to force her into the van.

She managed to wrestle free and the man fled, driving off towards Blackburn.

The victim, who suffered minor bruising to her right arm, is said to have been left traumatised but otherwise unharmed.

Police confirmed that the girl did not know the man who approached her at the bus stop at the railway bridge on Blackburn Road at around 8pm. They say parents should be vigilant but not panic as it is an "unusual" incident.

Detective Sergeant Paul Carroll, who is leading the investigation, said: "The van came towards the bus stop from the Bathgate side and stopped short of the bus stop.

"The man got out and walked towards the bus stop and approached the girl. He grabbed hold of her arm and demanded that she get into the small van. She was completely taken by surprise when he grabbed her.

"I think it's been a combination of her wrestling free and maybe him being spooked by passing motorists that caused him to drive off.

"It seems to have happened so quickly but the girl got the impression that something had unnerved him."

The girl, who lives in West Lothian and was on her own at the time, remained in the bus stop crying after the man drove off.

A man called Sean passed a few minutes after the van had left and walked the girl to the nearby Tesco and the police were contacted.

Police are examining CCTV footage from in and around Bathgate.

DS Carroll added: "It's an unusual occurrence and we don't want parents to be unduly alarmed, but at the same time take all precautions if you're on your own and make sure people know where you are and when you're due to be there.

"We don't want to scaremonger but people have got to make sure that they do whatever they can to keep themselves safe."

The suspect is described as white, 5ft 11in and 20 to 30 years old. He had a thin build and a tanned complexion with dark facial growth, especially around the chin, and a wide jaw.

He was wearing a light- coloured long-sleeved top, light blue jeans, light -coloured training shoes and a light-coloured woolly hat. He had a rough voice with a local accent.

DS Carroll said: "The girl obviously was a bit traumatised by the whole thing but can remember people walking along the other side of the road. It was a rainy night and they had their hoods up, so she doesn't think they would have noticed anything.

"She did notice a jogger on the same side as the bus stop after the van had left.

"That road is reasonably busy with traffic - it's the main road between Bathgate and Blackburn. There's also a Tesco store and a service station at the back of the bus stop, so it's quite a busy route with shoppers as well."

Police are also keen to speak to the man who came to the girl's aid and the jogger who passed nearby at the time.