Police in Eastbourne are searching for a man suspected of acting indecently towards schoolgirls on two separate occasions on one afternoon.
At 4.30pm on Friday 21 November a man approached a 14-year old schoolgirl on her way home from school, while she walking on the footpath (which is not visible from the road) beside Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne, between the District General Hospital and Sussex Downs College.
She walked past him as he was crouching or hiding in the trees and bushes. He then stepped out and said; "hey, come here". As she turned round he was exposing himself and carrying out an indecent act whilst beckoning her to come towards him.
However the girl very sensibly ignored him, ran off and immediately called the police from a nearby building.
The man is described as white, in his mid to late 30's, of medium build, with short dark stubble and short/cropped greying hair, wearing dark coloured metal framed spectacles which were rectangular in shape. He had a red mountain bike with him and was wearing a red and navy blue jacket.
PC Steve Austin said; "What is even more concerning is that this followed a call from four 14-year old schoolgirls who were also walking home after school in the Pig Lane area of Eastbourne on the same afternoon. At 3.25pm they had been approached by a male described as white, in his 40's, with a noticeable belly and wearing a red and blue type jacket, grey lycra trousers, a grey woollen hat and dark glasses. He also had a mountain bike with him.
"The man was acting in the same indecent way on this occasion too, after stepping out of the bushes. But again the brave victims called the police at the time and an immediate search of the area was carried out.
"We are treating these incidents extremely seriously and are making every effort to identify the man responsible, working from the belief that it is the same man in both cases.
"Local residents are being asked to be extra vigilant, and if any one is seen matching that description or indeed if somebody knows who this might be then please contact us via 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting serial 1075 of 21/11."
--- Note to readers: This message has been disseminated by Sussex Police - please visit their official website for further information. Reported by Sussex Police 11 hours ago.
At 4.30pm on Friday 21 November a man approached a 14-year old schoolgirl on her way home from school, while she walking on the footpath (which is not visible from the road) beside Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne, between the District General Hospital and Sussex Downs College.
She walked past him as he was crouching or hiding in the trees and bushes. He then stepped out and said; "hey, come here". As she turned round he was exposing himself and carrying out an indecent act whilst beckoning her to come towards him.
However the girl very sensibly ignored him, ran off and immediately called the police from a nearby building.
The man is described as white, in his mid to late 30's, of medium build, with short dark stubble and short/cropped greying hair, wearing dark coloured metal framed spectacles which were rectangular in shape. He had a red mountain bike with him and was wearing a red and navy blue jacket.
PC Steve Austin said; "What is even more concerning is that this followed a call from four 14-year old schoolgirls who were also walking home after school in the Pig Lane area of Eastbourne on the same afternoon. At 3.25pm they had been approached by a male described as white, in his 40's, with a noticeable belly and wearing a red and blue type jacket, grey lycra trousers, a grey woollen hat and dark glasses. He also had a mountain bike with him.
"The man was acting in the same indecent way on this occasion too, after stepping out of the bushes. But again the brave victims called the police at the time and an immediate search of the area was carried out.
"We are treating these incidents extremely seriously and are making every effort to identify the man responsible, working from the belief that it is the same man in both cases.
"Local residents are being asked to be extra vigilant, and if any one is seen matching that description or indeed if somebody knows who this might be then please contact us via 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting serial 1075 of 21/11."
--- Note to readers: This message has been disseminated by Sussex Police - please visit their official website for further information. Reported by Sussex Police 11 hours ago.