Police in Shard End have launched an investigation after a schoolboy was approached and assaulted by a man last month.
The 11-year-old boy was walking along Cat Lane in Shard End at around 6pm on Wednesday 26 March when a stranger in a silver estate car pulled over and stopped him.
A balding Asian man, believed to be in his 40s, approached the young lad and assaulted him. The youngster managed to break free and run away but didn’t tell his parents about the attack for several weeks.
Officers investigating the assault continue to scour CCTV for any clues that could help identify the man and the vehicle.
Detective Sergeant Jon Graham, from Birmingham’s Public Protection Unit, said: “This was a serious assault and the young lad was so traumatised by it he kept it a secret for several weeks.
“I am appealing to anyone who can supply me with a name or a vehicle registration number to contact me or one of the team.
“He is described as Asian, tall, quite skinny, about 40 years old, with short greying hair that is bald on top. He had an Asian accent, freckled skin, dark eyes, a long nose, and was wearing black jeans, a black shiny coat and white scruffy trainers.
“We believe that he was driving a silver coloured five door estate car, which was old and rusting and potentially had three rows of seats.
“The road is a busy road and there should have been lots of cars passing by. If you saw this incident then please call us so we can piece together what went on that day.
“We treat any reports of this nature very seriously, though incidents of this kind are extremely rare. At this stage we are treating this assault as an isolated incident but it’s important children are reminded about safety messages: never get into strangers’ cars and to always report suspicious behaviour so we can investigate.”
West Midlands Police has issued the following advice:
• Never go off on your own with a stranger , take things from them or get in a car with them.
• Make sure you tell your parents where you are.
• If someone scares you, or makes you feel uncomfortable go somewhere safe, which could be your home, your school or a police station. Remember to tell someone what has happened straight away.
Anyone with information is urged to call Birmingham Public Protection Unit on 101. Alternatively people can leave information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers the independent charity on 0800 555 111.