Police are investigating an alleged abduction attempt after a woman asked a young girl to “come with her” as she walked to school this week.

St John’s Highbury Vale Primary School, near Arsenal’s old Highbury Stadium, has urged parents to be “wary” after the incident on Tuesday morning.

Neil Richardson, headteacher of the Conewood Street school, said in a letter to parents on Tuesday: “I would like to bring to your attention something that happened to one of our pupils as she walked to school this morning. She was approached by a lady who asked her to come with her. This incident has been reported to police and all Key Stage 2 children have been made aware.

“Can I please remind parents and carers of the need for vigilance. The school is reminding children not to approach strangers, to be wary of them, to keep clear of cars and report any unusual incidents to parents/school as soon as possible after the event.

“Ensuring the safety of our children is our highest priority. We would be grateful, therefore, if you could reinforce the message with your child at home.”

An Islington Council spokesman said: “Incidents such as this are very rare in Islington but we would always advise children and parents to be vigilant on the way to and from school, and ask the wider public to look out for any interactions that look out of the ordinary or suspicious.”