Police hunt for woman seen approaching children

Police are on the hunt for a woman seen approaching children in Alexandra and Dunedin and asking them to accompany her.

A police spokesman said they were making inquiries after multiple reports of a person approaching children in Alexandra this week.

The first incident was reported about 3.20pm on Monday in Earnscleugh Rd, and the second on Wednesday at 4pm in Centennial Dr, the spokesman said.

During the Monday incident, a woman who looked to be in her 60s or 70s approached a pair of siblings aged 11 and 12 years old.

She was extremely insistent the pair get into her car for a ride home, the Central App reported.

The woman was reported having frizzy hair and some front teeth missing, and may have been driving an electric vehicle.

On Wednesday, a woman with the same description approached a 13-year-old near the Molyneux Aquatic Centre.

The incident was similar to one in Dunedin, where a woman with a matching description asked a 10-year-old girl to come to her car to see her cat.

A member of the public intervened, took the girl away and the incident was reported to police.

"Police believe the incidents are connected and are following strong lines of inquiry to locate the person," the spokesman said.