Schools across Ashford have issued a warning to parents after a man in a white van allegedly approached a girl walking home from school.

The incident is understood a have involved a student from the Towers School, in Faversham Road.

It comes after three similar cases of a man in a white van approaching children in the town in recent months.

Towers principal Richard Billings is said to have sent a message to parents, saying: "Kent Police and ourselves are investigating an incident which occurred last night involving a driver of a white van with red markings and one of our students.

"Can I please ask that extra vigilance is taken travelling to and from school and report any similar instances to the Police and the school."

"We have been informed by the police of a concern about a white van with red markings whose driver has stopped and approached children travelling to and from schools in the area..." - John McParland, head teacher

Parents of students at The John Wallis Academy, in Stanhope, also received a warning text from head teacher John McParland yesterday.

It read: "We have been informed by the police of a concern about a white van with red markings whose driver has stopped and approached children travelling to and from schools in the area.

"Please ask your children to take extra care travelling to and from the Academy. Report any incidents to Kent Police or the academy. Thank you. Mr McParland."

Police today said they are not treating the incident as suspicious and are not linking it to previous cases.

However, the school warnings are similar to three other incidents in Ashford earlier this year.

In May, a man in a white van is said to have approached two young girls in Kingsnorth.

And in April a letter was sent home to parents after police received two separate reports of a driver in a white van with red markings approaching children in the Bybrook Road area.

Police linked the incidents earlier this year and released an efit of a man they were hunting.

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