A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy escaped an attempted abduction when a man tried to grab him as he left a York school.

The pupil complained to his parents after the man approached him at 5.15pm yesterday at Hob Moor Junior School.

Schools across the city were on alert today.

A City of York Council spokesman said: "We are holding our own investigation into this.

"York's schools operate a warning system which routinely informs every school when incidents like this happen. They have all been told to be on their guard."

The council spokesman said the boy and a friend had been approached while playing football on the school fields.

"A man asked if they had seen a man and a woman on bikes," he said.

"They said they hadn't, he started to move away and then came back and tried to grab one of them.

"The two lads ran into an after-schools club, and their parents were alerted."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the nine-year-old had returned to school today.

He was expected to be interviewed this evening.

"He was asleep when his parents reported it, so we have not been able to speak to him yet," he said.

"Until we interview him, we are not sure of what has actually happened."

School governor Bill Fairclough described the incident as "shocking".

He said: "It frightens the life out of you, something like this. It is a real relief for everyone the child is safe.

"We try to maintain as much security as we can, but with it being an open space it is difficult.

"My advice to the children is never speak to strangers, keep together and do not separate.

"I will speak to the school as soon as I can to find out exactly what has happened."

Ward councillor Sue Galloway said: "This is extremely worrying, and I know that something similar has happened in the area before."

In April last year, Hob Moor Junior School sent letters to the parents of 225 pupils warning them to be extra-vigilant after a ten-year-old pupil was threatened by a stranger.

A stalker had threatened to kill the girl. He had first approached her in the playground, and followed her as she left school.

Earlier this month, a ten-year-old girl was chased by a man as she walked home from Westfield School in Askham Lane, Acomb.

She escaped uninjured.

Updated: 14:09 Thursday, March 14, 2002