Police are stepping up patrols near a school after two incidents in which a man acted suspiciously near children.

In the first instance a 10-year-old girl had left Hawkinge Primary School alone at 3pm on Wednesday.

She felt she was being followed by a man, described as white, aged 35 to 40, and wearing a waist-length grey coat and dark blue jeans.

He followed the girl until she saw a friend of her mother's. The man then stopped and walked away in the opposite direction.

The second incident came a short time later on the same afternoon, when a man reportedly opened the back door of a car stopped at traffic lights in Canterbury Road.

A one-year-old girl was sitting in the back passenger seat, but was unharmed.

The woman driving the car saw a man wearing dark clothing standing by the opened door, shouted at him and drove off.

He was wearing a dark jacket with fur around the hood and dark jeans.

Both incidents came just days after a man tried to lure a nine-year-old girl into his car on Monday

in Greatstone.

Inspector Mark Smith said: "Neighbourhood officers are currently in Hawkinge to carry out enquiries into these incidents and they will be patrolling at school closing time to provide reassurance.

"At present it is not clear if these incidents are related. Our advice is for parents to make arrangements for their children to be accompanied on the way to and from school.

"Children are regularly given advice about staying safe when they’re approached by strangers and usually know exactly what to do in these situations."

He said the girl in the first incident knew exactly what to do, and ran to someone she trusted.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Kent Police on 101 quoting crime reference SI/ZY/9344/13.

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