Tauranga police are investigating a number of reports made to police about children being suspiciously approached in the Greerton Village School area.

Greerton Village School says in a post to social media that it has been advised by police about children of primary and intermediate age being approached by people in cars outside the school.

'Please ensure you collect your children from inside the school grounds, or they walk home with the walking school bus.

'We have spoken with police, and there have been a number of reported incidents around Tauranga and our school, as recently as this afternoon, where children of primary and intermediate school age have been approached by people in cars.

'This is a very real and scary situation. Please talk to your children about ‘keeping themselves safe' and ‘what to do' if they find themselves in an unsafe situation.”

In a statement to SunLive about the incidents, Senior Sergeant Carl Purcell says police are currently making lines of enquiry.

'The recent suspicious approaches are being thoroughly investigated,” he says.

The Greerton incident follows similar activity in the Matua and Otumoetai area where last month a 12-year-old boy was approached by a stranger on his walk home.

Carl says, the two incidents however are not thought to be related as the description of the offender is different.

'In the Greerton instance, the offender is described as male Maori, very tall, wearing a black hoodie and black pants.

'Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious behaviour around the Greerton Park Village School and Countdown carpark is encouraged to contact police as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact Tauranga Police on 07 577 4300.