Police are hunting a man who tried to snatch two children in a Ponders End street.

Parents are warned to be on their guard after the man pounced on a 12-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy outside The Goat pub, in Hertford Road, between 7.30pm and 8pm on Friday, September 23.

He jumped out of a car, believed to be a blue Mercedes hatchback, and grabbed the friends, telling the girl he wanted to buy her for £30.

The youngsters managed to fight him off and fled.

Their attacker is described as slim, black, around 25 years old, 6ft 1ins tall, with bushy eyebrows, a moustache and short, dark brown hair.

He was wearing a dark tracksuit, hooded top, baseball cap and had two gold rings on his left hand a large sovereign and another ring embossed with the word Dad'.

DC Louise Broder, in charge of the investigation at Edmonton CID, urged anyone with information to get in touch.

She said: "We don't know what this man would have done if he got the children into the car.

"The fact he was prepared to grab them in the middle of the street shows how dangerous he is. The children were very scared."

DC Broder said police had stepped up patrols in the area since the attempted abduction.

In the meantime she urged parents to be vigilant.

She added: "Make sure you know where your children are, and who they are with. If they haven't got a mobile phone, keep a list of numbers they can call from a phone box. If they need help, encourage your children to go into a nearby shop for safety if they feel threatened.

"I would also encourage youngsters to get to know the police officers that patrol the neighbourhood and local shopkeepers they could contact should anything happen while they are out."

Anyone with information should call DC Broder on 8345 4565 or call Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.