Police are urging people to be vigilant following reports of a man approaching two young children in a street and giving one of them some money.

A man – believed to be drunk – attempted to engage a nine-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy in conversation on Silam Road in Stevenage at about 7pm on Friday, before they ran to passers-by for help.

One of the people who stopped to help said: “Me and my friend were walking to my mate’s and two little kids came up to us and said ‘can you get that guy away from us?’

“The little girl said he gave her money and said she ‘looked like a boy’ and that she ‘was fit’.

“We told the boy and girl to go to the park, near the duck pond, away from the guy, and we made sure they were OK.

“We went to take my mate’s dog for a walk and went back to find the guy, but he was nowhere to be seen.”

The person who stopped to help said the man was “very drunk” and wearing a bright orange jumper.

Herts police have confirmed they are investigating the incident after it was reported to them by the boy’s mother.

A spokesman said the children felt unsure and approached an adult to tell them what happened, before the man left the area.

Sergeant Martin Kemp, from the Stevenage Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Extensive enquiries are currently ongoing to identify this man, so we can speak to him and establish exactly why he is approaching children.

“At this stage we are keeping an open mind regarding his motives for approaching children who are not known to him.

“The children did the right thing in this situation by approaching an adult they trusted for help, however I would like to stress that no criminal offences have occurred in this instance.

“I would urge people to remain vigilant and contact us via the non-emergency number 101 or online at www.contacthertspolice.uk/report/crime if they have any information that could assist our enquiries, quoting ISR 1053 of June 23. In an emergency always call 999.”