A police operation to find the man suspected of attempting to abduct a ten-year-old girl in Barton has drawn a blank -- despite dozens of calls from local residents.

The girl was walking to Bayswater School at 8.10am on December 12 when a man jumped out of bushes at the junction of Waynflete Road and Claymond Road, grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

She screamed and broke free. A search began for the man, who has a distinctive curved scar running from his right eye to right cheek, but without success.

Det Con Emma Garside, of Oxford CID, said police were told of numerous sightings of a man matching the e-fit released soon after the attack.

Det Con Garside said: "The response from people on the estate has been fantastic, but the bottom line is they haven't identified him. People have phoned in with names, and those names have been fully researched and now eliminated.

"He is still being seen, which makes me feel that he is local or in the area on a regular basis. People have done everything we've asked, ringing in when they think they see him, but by the time the call comes through or we get a car up here, he has disappeared."

Bayswater School head- teacher Ron Holland said: "We are keeping everyone vigilant, but the kids have a right to walk to school safely knowing no-one is going to be molested. Parents also have that right.

"Schools are easy targets and we have to strike a balance between turning them into fortresses and being part of the community."