Man waved cash in bid to get girls

THREE girls yesterday revealed how a middle aged man waved cash in an attempt to lure them into a car.

The man seemed to shout “girl, girls” and patted the passenger seat, in what is the latest attempted abduction in Ireland.

Jessica Doyle, 12, Emma Dunne, 13, and Lisa Smith, 12, had just stepped off a bus, after returning from a day trip to Dun Laoghaire, south Dublin, when a car approached.

“The car was driving slowly and then stopped. We thought he was asking for directions, we looked at him and then walked on,” said Jessica. “He drove up beside us, we were walking faster. We turned around and he was pointing waving a euro note. He was bending over. I’m not sure if he was patting the seat or opening the door.”

Lisa said: “I was saying ‘Oh My God, Oh My God’, because we were thinking of the girls in England.”

Emma said they kept walking faster and starting jogging. “We’d seen his mouth moving. We couldn’t hear him properly, but I thought he was saying ‘girls, girls’,” she said.

Emma said the incident, which happened at around 5.15pm on Wednesday, lasted two minutes.

The car eventually drove off at speed up the busy Bray road towards Shankill village when the driver realised the girls were turning off.

The girls described the man as being in his late 40s or 50s, with grey hair and circle-rimmed glasses. He was driving a distinctive new gold coloured Fiat Punto.

“We didn’t bother looking at the car again in case he’s saying something, that’s why we didn’t see the plate,” said Jessica.

Jessica said she was really scared afterwards and was nearly crying.

They went home to Jessica’s house in Crinken Glen. As soon as Jessica’s mother, Ciara, arrived home at 7pm, she told her.

“I just got out of car and she told me half-heartedly. I was very shocked, immediately piled them all into the car, went to station. I was pleased with the garda reaction,” said Ciara. “It’s something we’re all very aware of, and very lucky nothing happened.”

Gardaí confirmed they received a report the three girls were approached by the man at Crinken Glen between Shankill and Bray at around 5pm on Wednesday.

The approach to the girls follows reports of several similar incidents in the Dundalk area in recent weeks.

Gardaí know the identity of that man and are trying to locate him. Anyone with information can contact Shankill Station at 01-6665900.