Increased police patrols following reports of suspicious activity in Walton Vale

We have increased police patrols in Walton Vale following two reports of a man acting suspiciously this week.

It was reported that at around 12.45pm on Tuesday 10 May a man approached a mother and her four-year-old son on the pavement outside Top Class Shoe Repairs on Walton Vale. He then picked the boy up and carried him across the road. The mother followed him and retrieved her son before going into a nearby shop.

The following day (Wednesday 11 May) it was reported that around 2.45pm a 14-year-old girl believed she was being followed by a man while she walked along Walton Vale and he appeared to be filming her on his mobile phone. She informed security staff at a nearby supermarket who looked to find the man but he had gone.

Officers are investigating both incidents and have conducted witness and CCTV enquiries. Detectives are keeping an open mind about any links between the incidents.

Community Policing Inspector Sarah Rotherham said: “I’d like to assure our community in Walton Vale that we take any reports of this nature extremely seriously.

“We are currently assessing the reports to establish the full circumstances, to identify who is responsible and whether there are any links.

“Thankfully no-one has been hurt in either incident, but we understand the concern they would have caused.

“People of all ages should be able to go about their business without fear of such incidents happening to them, and we’ll act on all information provided and are absolutely determined to find anyone responsible.

“We are speaking to residents to provide reassurance and are acting on any information received. Our proactive patrols will also give people the opportunity to speak to us, share any concerns as well as any information they may have.

“The families in both incidents did the right the thing by reporting the incidents to us so we can investigate the circumstances further.

“We are aware of more reports on social media and would encourage anyone aware of incidents who has not yet reported them to police to contact us, and we will take action.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact @MerPolCC or 101 quoting reference 20000320202.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.