POLICE are searching for a man who is believed to have tried to abduct two young boys.

Two mothers are warning parents to be vigiliant making reports to police that a man attempted to lure their children away.

The shocked parents, who live in Eastwood and Shoebury, in two separate incidents, a man demanded their children get in his van.

Essex Police have confirmed they are investigating both incidents, which happened within half an hour of each other.

Parents told of their shock that it could happen so close to their homes.

A 30-year-old mother, who lives in Martock Avenue, Eastwood, said that a middle-aged man approached her son close to their home and demanded he get in the back of his white Transit van.

The other parent, 32, of Hogarth Drive, Shoebury, claimed that her son was walking through a disused car park off Eagle Way, when a man urged the ten-year-old child to get into his van for a lift home.

The Eastwood mother, who does not want to be named, said: “I’m still in shock now. I don’t expect this to happen, least of all close my front door.

“I feel like I’ve been invaded and he’s invaded my privacy. We need to warn other parents out there as most children that age walk home themselves.”

She explained that her son fled to a neighbour’s house after the proposition, while the man sped off in his vehicle.

She added: “I try to keep my kids vigilant and thank God he was clever enough to run away and towards the back of the house to my friends.

“If he had got close, I’m sure the man would have grabbed him.”

The incident happened around 4.45pm on Thursday (Oct 3) and the man is described as middle aged, white, with a receding hairline, driving a white Transit van.

Just 30-minutes earlier, another mother had reported a similar incident in Shoebury.

She said her ten-year-old son fled home after he was propositioned in a car park, and she immediately called the police. The male again drove off afterwards.

She said: “It’s scary that something like this can happen so close to home and so early on in the day, as it was broad daylight.

“It was right by some shops so it’s very brazen of the individual and we need to educate other parents to let their children not go near any suspect vehicles and not be swayed by an excuse to get in.”

Police admitted they are investigating two reports of a man driving a white van acting suspiciously at the end of last week in Leigh and Shoebury. Witnesses should call 101.