A 10-year-old had been at Red Gum Park on Jenny Wren Place on Wednesday.

She reported being approached by a man between 3.30pm and 4pm.

The man reportedly tried to engage her in a conversation and asked her to go for a walk.

The girl ran from the park to her home and alerted her parents, who attended the scene of the incident and contacted police.

Inspector Scott Russell said officers had made enquiries in the nearby area and were taking the matter seriously.

“It puts an innocent young girl in danger and we want to stop that,” he said of the man’s actions.

“It’s a residential area, it’s 3.30pm in the afternoon, there’s more than likely other people moving about that residential area at the time who may have seen it.

“I encourage those people to come forward if they’ve seen anything.”

The girl had been with a friend at the time.

Inspector Russell said the 10-year-old had done the right thing.

“She hasn’t engaged with that male and ran home and told her parents,” he said.

“It is concerning behaviour, but what I say to parents out there … it’s about talking to your children about protective behaviours, whether that’s people they do know or people they don’t know.”

The man is aged between 40 and 50, had a goatee beard, short hair and a rat tail.

He was wearing a puffy vest, grey baggy tracksuit pants and a white T-shirt with the logo Nailed It.

Police receive sporadic reports of children being approached, but Inspector Russell said there were no links to other incidents. 

He said the clothing and description provided by the girl was “distinctive”. 

“We’re requesting, for us to move forward in this investigation, members of the public that may know anything to come forward,” he said. 

Inspector Russell said detectives were looking into the matter and following several lines of enquiry.

“It’s being treated at this point in time as a serious incident that has occurred,” he said. 

Anyone with information can contact Albury police on (02) 6023 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.