The cycleway between Walsall and Pelsall is often busy, but can be isolated. Take care.

Worrying news reaches me of an indecent exposure incident on the Pelsall to Walsall cycle track near the Fordbrook Lane Bridge yesterday (Monday 19th October 2015) this follows reports of a similar incident on the Pelsall Road at Highbridges a few weeks ago.

A lady jogger reported the following:

For anyone living in or near Pelsall, be very careful when walking or jogging etc. down the railway track that crosses Fordbrook Lane. Just been followed by a man exposing himself and performing a lewd act.

This is serious – I was jogging pretty fast and when I turned around he was very close behind me. He must have been running behind me as I’d passed him once. He’s tall, skinny with light hair and looks like he’s on drugs.

Please be careful if you’re out and about in the area by yourself; even in the middle of the day parts of our area can be very isolated, so take care where you go alone.

If you or your children are subject to anything like this, please do contact the police. These types of offences can escalate, and the man needs to be caught before he does more serious harm.

If you have any information related to this incident call Walsall Police on 101 or 0345 113 5000, or you may also speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Police urge anyone who falls victim to such an indecent exposure to call 999 immediately.

Police Constable Richard Jackson, from Walsall Police, said: ‘Although this type of offence is rare, there are many parks and open spaces on the east side of Walsall that have historically attracted offenders.

‘They usually target women, often when they are alone in parks, canals or country tracks.

‘We take any such offences very seriously and saw five people arrested in 2012 when we set up an operation to reduce this kind of offending.’

Walsall Police have issued the following guidelines for the public if an offence occurs.

• Please phone 999 immediately! The Walsall Police plan involves an immediate response for officers to attend and try to capture the offender. Please do not wait until you get home.
• Try and get a good description of the offender, including detail of clothing. This is very valuable to police, and if the offender is in a vehicle, the registration number is also extremely important to help identify them. The make and model is also very useful.
• Details of where the offender was last seen, or last seen heading to is very valuable in assisting police to locate them quickly.
• Never put yourself at further risk to obtain these details, but if have seen them please commit them to memory, or write them down if you can. This information can then be passed straight out to officers via police radio to ensure that a meaningful search can take place straight away.

For advice on staying safe when out, visit: www.safer-streets.org

Any information? lease call Walsall Police on 101 or 0345 113 5000. You can also speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.