A man has allegedly tried to force a 10-year-old boy into the boot of his car as he walked home from school in Whangarei.

Police are investigating reports of the incident on McClintock St in Whau Valley, as the boy and two other school children were walking home about 3pm yesterday.

Detective Sergeant Dave Hamilton says the driver of a silver, older-model sedan stopped in the middle of the road near the children.

He's described as European, with black and brown curly shoulder length hair, wearing a black hoodie, black jeans, and had tattoos on both forearms.

The boy managed to escape and ran off with the other two children and hid in bushes.