THE young girl was clearly distressed. Standing at the road side, tears were running down her face. She was dressed in the uniform of a local school and would have been about the same age as my daughter. It was dark, cold and raining.

The natural reaction as I approached was to stop and offer assistance. But at the last moment doubts set in.

As a stranger to her, what would she think? And what assistance could be offered? Shelter in my home which I knew would be empty, my wife and children being out? Any approach might have added to her distress and terror, perhaps leading to an awkward interview with the police for me.

Rightly or wrongly I walked on. She was still there 20 minutes later but by the time my wife had returned home she had gone.

One trusts her lift turned up. What should a man do in such circumstances? Modern society means that offering a helping hand is no longer a simple decision.