Don't be alarmed, but be on the look out is the message

Parents are being warned to be vigilant after a number of sightings of suspicious men hanging around schools in the Ealing area.

Schools, police and the local council are emphasising that incidents like this are rare and that parents shouldn't be alarmed. Nevertheless, parents, childminders and children should keep an eye out for anything suspicious and make sure it is reported.

"We are treating these incidents seriously,” said Ealing Borough Police Community and Partnership Superintendent Ian Jenkins. “Our local safer neighbourhood teams have been in the contact with the schools to provide reassurance and high visibility patrols in the areas concerned."

A posting on the Ealing Today forum alerted parents yesterday, after receiving a letter from Fielding Primary School. The stance is welcomed by the Superintendent.

“We fully support the delivery of a strong message for children about safety and strangers, as it will ensure they know to report any incident like this to an adult or teacher as soon as possible.”

Ealing Council Leader Cllr Jason Stacey reiterated the message:

“We don’t want to alarm parents but we as a council feel it’s our duty to make them aware of these concerning incidents,” he said. “We are taking these reports extremely seriously and are urging police to put this as their top priority.

“In the meantime, we are working with schools to raise awareness and reinforce safety messages among pupils and parents.

“My message to parents is please keep your eyes open and talk to your children to ensure they know what to do if they are approached by a stranger.”

The police have released details of three reported incidents

1/ St John’s Primary School, West Ealing

At 8am on Tuesday 20 March, a pupil was walking to school on her way to breakfast club. A white man in a blue car pulled up alongside the pavement and got out of the car. He asked the child to get in the car and said he would take her wherever she wanted to go. The child said no and the man drove away. There was no physical contact between the man and the child during the encounter.

When the child reported the incident the following day, the school immediately contacted the council and police. The school detailed the incident in a School Safe Report to Ealing council and this information was cascaded to schools across the borough.

The school’s head teacher, Marilyn Borlase, said, “We immediately alerted the council and police and a warning was cascaded to schools across the borough.

"All parents were informed and we encouraged them to talk to their children about not going with strangers. Safety messages and stranger warnings were also reinforced during our school assembly.

There is nothing more important than educating children about staying safe. We teach children that if an adult who they do not know approaches them or asks them to go with them, it is a “trick.”

2/ Little Ealing Primary School, Ealing

At approximately 4pm on Tuesday 13 March, a pupil was walking home and a man in a car offered her a lift and said he could take her anywhere she wanted to go. The child declined and ran home. There was no physical contact between the man and the child.

3/ Downe Manor Primary School, Northolt

At 3.40pm on Wednesday 7 March, two boys in the back seat of a black car (driven by a male adult, with a male adult passenger) called out to two female pupils and a male pupil, who were walking home on Kingshill Avenue. They asked the pupils to come over to the car but the pupils ignored them and ran away. There was no physical contact between the pupils and the strangers.

(Please note that the pupils were not asked to get into the car. This incident cannot be classified as an attempted abduction, however it is another example of an incident involving strangers approaching pupils.)

Anyone with any information that could help identify any of these suspects is asked to contact Ealing Borough Police on 020-8810-1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.

March 30, 2007