A mum has accused police of not taking reports of an accosting seriously after a man allegedly attempted to lure her daughter into his car.

Teresa Kelly’s daughter Charlotte Ewers, 12, was approached on The Causeway as she made her way from school at The Heybridge Centre, in The Street, to Maldon town centre to get a bus home to Southminster.

A man, described as in his 60s and driving a blue Ford Fiesta, allegedly pulled onto the curb and asked her if she wanted a lift.

The girl didn’t hear him at first, but when he repeated the question she declined and the man swiftly drove off without explanation.

The former Ormiston Rivers Academy pupil managed to make a note of the registration number of the vehicle and police were able to identify the driver.

Inspector Chris Kilgallen, who had earlier emphasised that there had been no attempt to touch or grab the girl, said: “He has been spoken to and it would appear this was a case of mistaken identity as he thought the girl was someone he knew.”

But Ms Kelly, of Pantile Hill, questioned whether the matter had been fully investigated.

“I think it’s all a bit suspicious,” she said.

“Why didn’t he say to her ‘Sorry, I thought you were somebody else’?

“He scared the life out of here and then just drove off, what kind of man does that?"

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