A DRIVER tried to snatch a teenager from the roadside.

Police said the victim was walking along Charlton Road in East Dean, near Chichester, at around 4.30pm on Sunday. 26/10 The man, in his late 20s or early 30s, pulled up in a Ford KA and told her to get inside.

When she refused, he tried to grab her arm but she pushed away and ran to the nearby Fox Goes Free pub where she raised the alarm and he drove away.

The man was described as white, about 5ft 7ins with short brown, nearly black hair. He had a black, bushy beard and was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans.

The car was dented and dirty and had black bumpers.

Detective Constable Gaye Moore said: "The teenager is very upset about what happened and we urgently need to trace the man involved.

"Thankfully she is not injured although she is badly shaken. We do not yet know what the man's intentions were but we need to find him.

"At this stage there is nothing to suggest this is linked to any other crimes but I would urge the public to be vigilant and to tell us if they see a man and a vehicle that matches the descriptions the victim has given us."

Extra patrols are currently taking place in the area and enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting 1055 of 26/10, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.