TWO children were almost abducted by a man sitting inside a van who lured them with candy while they were playing outside a restaurant in Puchong, Sin Chew Daily reported.

He tried to pull the five-year-old girl into the vehicle when the girl came to get the candy but the girl's sister, 12, who saw the incident, ran to her rescue.

He tried to drag the older sister in as well.

However, when he saw a woman coming by, he abandoned his attempt and drove off.

A police report had been lodged by the girls' parents, it reported.