A MUM is warning teenage girls to be vigilant after a man exposed himself to a family friend in the latest in a string of incidents.

Nicola Portway, 37, who lives off Clay Hill Road, Basildon, told the Echo how her daughter’s 17-year-old friend was walking to the shops when a man pulled his trousers down. She was with Nicola’s youngest daughter, who was in a pram, at the time. The incident took place in Kingswood Park, near Osbourne Road.

Mrs Portway spoke out in December after her daughter, Isabelle, and her friend were walking home from the Woodlands School, in Woodlands Approach, Basildon, when a man pulled his trousers down – leaving them terrified and in tears.

Since then, Mrs Portway said the same man exposed himself to her daughter again earlier this year. She believes the most recent incident, on Thursday afternoon, is just one of dozens more by the same man in the same place.

Mrs Portway said: “This time round my daughter’s friend had only been gone a short time when she rang me she said ‘he’s here what should I do?’”

Mrs Portway ran to the scene, but the man had gone by the time she got there. She said: “She was really shaken up although she was more upset about it because she had the baby there. She said: ‘It just made me feel sick, I shouldn’t have to see that.’

“She had been putting suncream on the baby when he started coughing as if to get her attention. She turned and he had his trousers down and his top pulled up.

“It’s ridiculous, it was 1.30pm in the afternoon. You shouldn’t have to worry about that sort of thing.

“I rang the police and they were amazing, they were there with eight minutes but he had gone.”

Mrs Portway, who actually chased the man during the second incident but was unable to catch him, is urging women to be careful in the area. She said: “I have heard so many people say they have seen him.

“A mum at the school had the same thing happen a while ago and she had a little girl and a baby with her, it’s worrying. We are worried he might take it further or attack someone.

“We just want people to be aware of what is going on, to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and not to walk on your own there.

“It’s awful that girls can’t even walk home from school without having to be worried about someone jumping out and exposing themselves.”

The man has been described as being in his early 20s, around 5ft 8ins tall and had short black hair. Call Essex Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.