Police are commending the caution displayed by local youth after being approached by a suspicious stranger.

A complaint was recently received by Winkler Police Service regarding a suspicious male who was observed watching two young boys from his vehicle. The male suspect was seen exiting his vehicle and proceeding to approach the young males.

However, the grade six students immediately left the area and reported the incident to an adult. Police patrolled the area but were unable to locate the suspect.

The man is described as in his 40s with a short beard and dark hair driving a small white truck with rust on it.

"Incidents like these are quite rare in our community but we take each one seriously and make every attempt possible to locate the person," Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt says, adding the boys made the wise decision in leaving the area and reporting the incident to an adult at their school.

Hunt adds it's a reminder for youth that "if a stranger approaches them or asks them to walk towards the stranger, the children should leave the area and report the incident to an adult they trust."

The investigation is on-going and Hunt says it's still unclear on the suspect's intentions. "He may well have had a legitimate reason for wanting to speak with these youth and no offence has been committed yet."