Police issue alert over indecent exposure incident in S Glos
They say a teenage girl was approached by a man who exposed himself on a Thornbury footpath
An alert is being issued by Avon and Somerset Police after they say a teenage girl was approached by a man who exposed himself on a Thornbury footpath.
It happened at around 5pm off St Davids Road back on December 1st.
The girl, who is in her mid-teens, ran to a nearby house and police were called.
Police say the man is thought to be in his late teens, white, and was wearing black joggers and a navy top.
Officers are linking it to a similar case involving a primary school-aged girl on the same path last month.
Avon and Somerset Police added: "Officers were already investigating an incident of a man exposing himself to a primary-school-aged girl on the same footpath. This happened at about 3.45pm on Friday 10 October. The child was a little way ahead of her family member and the man ran off when the adult caught up.
"The suspect was described as a man in his mid-twenties, white and with brown hair, wearing a red jacket and dark joggers.
"Previously, we’d had an online report that a man saw someone exposing himself in an underpass on Gillingstool at about 5pm on Thursday 2 October. The suspect was described as aged between twenty and thirty, wearing dark joggers and a striped top."
'Concerning' reports
Neighbourhood Inspector Stephen Baines said: “These reports are concerning. Our priority is keeping the community safe, and you’ll see an increase in uniformed patrols as officers work hard to identify the suspect. Please remain alert and report anything suspicious – your information could be vital.
“Call 999 immediately if the offender’s still in the area, or ring 101 with any relevant information or footage, giving the reference 5225284819.”
Parents and carers can find information and advice on talking to children about personal safety on the NSPCC website.
There’s also advice from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust charity.
The neighbourhood policing team want to hear from you if there are areas where you unsafe so that we can work with partners to improve things. You can tell officers about this anonymously online.
The team also offers a “walk and talk” scheme, in which officers accompany women to areas where they feel less safe to discuss how they can be improved.
If you can help, call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5225284819, or complete their online appeals form.
You can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their Anonymous Online Form.