Suspicious van approaching children in Rotorua suburb Glenholme

The van is described as being a silver/grey "tourist style looking van", with a long nose front, black tinted windows and a sliding rear door.

Rotorua police are investigating reports of a suspicious driver in a silver van who has approached children in the Glenholme area.

The van has been seen on several occasions in the last week being driven slowly and stopped near children playing outside.

Last Monday afternoon a 9-year-old boy was riding his bike on Miller St near Glenholme School when a silver van pulled up beside him.

A male opened the back sliding door, the boy became frightened and rode off.

He felt they were attempting to take him, police said.

There were two males in the vehicle.

On Wednesday afternoon, the boy was playing outside with other children in Rimu St when the same van drove past.

The boy and other children recognised the van and ran inside.

The boy's sister saw the van driving slowly past the address, park around the corner for a few minutes, before coming back on Rimu St and parking outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A short time later the van left the area.

The following day at 8am, the children were outside the front of the house and the van was seen again travelling slowly past the property.

The children ran inside screaming.

The van is described as being a silver/grey "tourist style looking van", with a long nose front, black tinted windows and a sliding rear door.

The number plate was broken and there is no known registration.