AN Ardrossan mum has told how she ‘felt sick to the pit of her stomach’ after her son told how a man tried to abduct him.

Gill Slaven spoke to the Herald this week after the incident in the town’s Stanley Road on Monday evening.

Her 10-year-old son Lewis was out with two friends and said ‘he felt the man’s fingers’ as he tried to grab him from the side door of a van.

Now police have launched an investigation and are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch with them but they are stressing that this is the only incident that has been reported to them in the local area.

Gill explained: “He was waiting to cross the road as a van was coming down and it slowed down and the side door was already open. There was a man standing in the back at the sliding door and a driver.

“The man was dressed in all black with a balaclava over his face and he shouted something like ‘all’. Lewis is quite jumpy so he jumped back the way and the man tried to grab him but he fell to the ground and it sped off in the direction of the roundabout at the top of the cemetery road.”

One of his friends phoned her mum and they went back to Lewis’ home in Beggs Terrace where his mum said he was in shock.

She added: “He was just in shock and said ‘Mum, a man just tried to grab me’. He was chalk white.

“He said that he felt the man’s fingers on his top.

“My husband then said to phone the police and went out to see if he could see anything.

"He said the van was like a transit with muck up on side of it with no markings or writing.”

Police were at the Slaven’s house within ten minutes and spoke to Lewis and his friends and came back for further statements yesterday (Tuesday) about the ordeal.

Gill described what it was like when she realised what had happened and said: “I felt sick to the pit of my stomach. You hear about these things happening and God forbid it happens to any kid but I just couldn’t believe it. Lewis is still in shock but I don’t think he realises the severity of it.

"He just said ‘I can’t believe it happened but I’m glad I know Muay Thai and knew what to do’.

“It was 30 seconds from our front door. He won’t be out anytime soon. I will just need to make sure I know where he is and make sure he doesn’t speak to anyone. Hopefully nothing like this ever happens again.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “On Monday 26 March 2018, a 10 year old boy reported to police that he had been approached by a man driving a white van in Stanley Road, Ardrossan, around 7.30 pm last night.

"Concerned about the approach, he went home where police were contacted. Enquiries in to this incident are continuing.

“There have been no reports of any other similar incidents.

"We would encourage anyone with information to contact their local police office via 101.”