Parents were today on alert after the fifth attempted abduction of a young child.

The alarm was raised on Tuesday night after a man in a car attempted to snatch an eight-year-old girl off the street in Douglas Avenue, Worthing.

The girl was walking along Douglas Avenue near the junction with Douglas Close at 7pm when she was approached by a man in a dark car.

He tried to grab her and put her into his car, but the girl broke free and fled.

She told police, who conducted house-to-house inquries in the area, that the man had dark hair and was wearing a dark coat.

Detective Sergeant Sean Scott, of Worthing CID, said: "This is a worrying incident and the girl is fortunate to have escaped from the man. Douglas Avenue is a built-up residential area and I am sure that someone may have seen the incident or may have information regarding the man or vehicle. We are very keen to trace this man at the earliest opportunity."

Police fear a serial child molester could be on the prowl in Worthing after four attempted abductions in a week at the end of March.

On March 24 a man jumped out of his van and tried to grab a nine-year-old girl as she cycled past in Willow Crescent, Durrington.

This was linked to an incident the day before when a man tried to drag an eight-year-old girl into his car as she walked home from school after being followed along College Gardens.

Two further attempts were made on March 22 when a 12-year-old boy was approached in Ham Road, East Worthing.

On the same day a nine-year-old girl was grabbed as she walked home from a friend's house in Lanfranc Road.

A three-year-old girl was grabbed on March 12 as she played on Southwick Green, but her mother was able to get to her in time.

Det Sgt Scott added: "The inquiry is at an early stage and we are keeping an open mind as to whether this incident is related to other previous similar incidents."