A teenager who ran away from a man she says approached her asking for sex is warning young girls not to go out on their own at night.

Mercedes Blackstock was walking home along Sheerness High Street on Sunday at about 9.15pm.

She said as she crossed the traffic lights at the junction with Millennium Way, a bald, stocky man in his early 40s approached her from behind and started talking.

She removed the earphones she was wearing so she could hear him speak and he asked her to go with him several times in a deep, local accent, to which she did not reply.

The 17-year-old said he asked her twice “Do you want to have sex with me?”, as well as “How old are you?” and, “Where are you going? Home?”

She put her earphones back in and continued walking.

“I was thinking I have to get away from this man. He looked dangerous and angry" - Mercedes Blackstock

After crossing St George’s Avenue she turned to see if he had gone but said he was no more than 10ft behind. He then smiled and waved at her.

The teenager said she walked faster and did not look back until she was approaching the canal when she saw the man, who she described as short and wearing a royal blue coat, jeans and a gold hoop in his ear, was still the same distance from her.

She said: “I was thinking I have to get away from this man. He looked dangerous and angry.

“I just ran from there. He didn’t appear to be drunk. He didn’t smell of alcohol.

“I’d warn woman not to go out alone in the dark.”

She sent a text to her mum and then started running along Halfway Road without looking back until she got to Sheppey Court.

Her dad called her and went to pick her up by the old dairy.

Mum Rachel Blackstock said: “Mercedes doesn’t scare easily. She is an ex-boxer and I did think we would be looking at a different story right now if she wasn’t so fit.”

A police spokesman said the incident was not being investigated as a crime as there had been no physical contact.

He said: “We were called at 10pm on Sunday, February 22, to a report that a teenage girl had been approached by a man at High Street, Sheerness. Patrols have spoken to the girl and taken details.”

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