A mum who spotted a man appearing to take photos of her 10-year-old daughter outside a ballet class says the incident has left her feeling "nauseous".

The badly-shaken mother, who has asked to remain anonymous, had stepped outside of her car in Highbury Lane, Tenterden, to quickly tie her daughter's hair back before she went into her class.

Her daughter was already dressed in her leotard in preparation for her class at Highbury Hall, which was just a few metres away.

"I became aware of someone staring at us and when I looked up I saw a man pointing his phone in our direction," the mum said.

"At first I gave him the benefit of the doubt and thought he must be adjusting his phone because he had the sun in his eyes, or that he was trying to frame another shot but there was nothing in the background for him to take a photo of.

"He kept pointing his phone, which had a bright blue cover, directly at us and when I looked at him he tried to hide what he was doing at first and then quickly turned away.

"I had my eight-year-old son with me at the time and it left me feeling nauseous."

A police spokesman said officers are investigating.

She said: "We were called at 5pm on Friday, October 12, following a report that a man had taken photographs of a 10-year-old child in Highbury Lane, Tenterden.

"The man was described as white, about 5ft 7in tall, in his late 40s or early 50s, with black hair.

"He was wearing a dark grey tracksuit and black trainers.

"Officers are making inquiries into the report, although at the moment there is no evidence to suggest that an offence was committed."

Ashford community safety unit inspector Jason Atkinson warned parents to be vigilant.

He said: "We would like to reassure children and parents that we always take all reports of suspicious behaviour very seriously, especially those concerning the welfare and safety of children.

"As always, I would ask people to remain vigilant – especially during half-term next week – and to report anything suspicious to police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

"Anyone who witnessed the incident in Highbury Lane on Friday is asked to phone police on 01843 222289, quoting reference number 12-1315."