POLICE investigating a report that a man had approached a six-year-old boy say they are confident that the incident did not take place.

As previously reported the alleged 'suspicious incident' happened on Saturday and sparked a major police investigation.

It also prompted schools in the area to put out a warning to parents telling them what happened and to be on their guard.

But after an investigation police say they were confident a man had not spoken to the boy and had not had other reports of suspicious behaviour.

The youngster became separated from his parent when they were in the Sellwood Road area of Netley at 4.38pm on Saturday.

The family were reunited shortly afterwards when officers say the boy told them he had spoken to a man that he did not know.

The six-year-old was unharmed and was able to return home.

A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "Officers have now spoken to the boy and his family and have carried out enquiries in the area we are confident that the boy did not speak to a man while he was separated from his family.

"There were no other reports made of a man acting suspiciously in the area.

"We would like to thank schools for providing re-assurance messages to parents in the area over the past few days."

The 29-year-old mother of the boy, who did not want to be named, had previously spoken to the Daily Echo about what happened.

She said he had been playing at Netley recreation ground with her and his two sisters but was kicking his football along the road and running to catch it as they walked along Queen's Way and reached the corner which joins Moore Crescent and Sellwood Road where he was out of sight.

She said: "My eldest daughter who was a bit closer to him shouted that she could hear him screaming for help.

"I rushed to the corner screaming in blind panic for him but didn't hear or see anything. A few minutes later he suddenly came running up Sellwood Road shouting for me and crying.

"He told me that he had been waiting for us and this man had grabbed him really tightly around the arm and started dragging him away."

Police did say that anyone with concerns about anything they that is suspicious in the local area is encouraged to report them to police.

You can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.