A mum has issued a warning to parents after she claims a man took photos of her daughter on Dover beach and followed them for almost 30 minutes.

The 23-year-old, whose identity we are protecting, feared he was going to snatch her child.

She took a picture of him, and after posting about the alleged incident on Facebook, has been in touch with another woman who claims to have been targeted by the same man.

She was with her four-year-old daughter on the beach near the pier on May 4 when she claims the man started to take pictures of her little girl.

He is described as being in his 20s, having dark hair, and speaking with a foreign accent.

Before she became aware he was watching them, she had taken off her daughter’s tights after the youngster had wet herself.

She alleges he was pointing his phone at the girl as though he was taking pictures.

She said: “I covered my daughter up - not that you could see anything anyway but then he came and sat behind us on our right and then I put my daughter’s tights back on her.

"As soon as I put her tights back on, he got up and he was circling us. So I started to walk away.”

He began following her and her daughter along the beach for almost half an hour, making her feel very intimidated.

She claims every time she stopped, he stopped. She tried to talk to people along the way.
Despite her calling police on 101 and her partner, he continued to follow them.

She said: “I felt like he was going to take my daughter. I held onto her so tight.”

Now the 23-year-old wishes she had called 999 but said at the time she didn’t know if she was being paranoid or if it was something much more sinister.

The former Dover resident managed to stay calm for her daughter’s sake and eventually made it inside De Bradlei Wharf where a member of staff assisted them.

She reported it to the Port of Dover Police and also gave officers four pictures she had taken of the man.

Since posting a warning on Facebook, another woman has been in touch to say a similar incident happened to her and her son in Pencester Gardens. When they compared pictures they had taken of the suspect, it was the same man.

“I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else" - the girl's mother

She added: “As I grew up around Dover I always felt safe there but it’s scary to think that he might have been watching us for a while, that’s the scariest part. What if I hadn’t seen him?

“I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

The Port of Dover police confirmed that officers are investigating after receiving reports of the incident and pictures of the suspect.

A spokesman said: “PoD Police have a picture of the man for records and have made patrols aware to keep a look out within the community and on the seafront.”

Kent Police have not confirmed whether they are investigating too.