A YOUNG boy was grabbed by a stranger as he played on his scooter, a family have claimed.

Now police are hunting for the man, who tried to put his hands around the youngster's eyes.

The family of the 10-year-old boy say he was on his scooter in Portchester when the stranger grabbed him, trying to put his hands around the youngster's eyes, at around 3pm.

He was able to escape and reported the incident, which happened in the area of King George Road and Queen Mary Road, sparking a police investigation which saw officers on patrol in the area throughout yesterday afternoon.

Leaflets warning people about the incident were also posted through doors of those living nearby and Portchester Community School have sent a text to parents about what happened.

The man was on foot and was wearing a blue top.

Anyone with information about the incident or who saw the man should contact Fareham CID on 101 of Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.