Pupils terrified by Newport stranger stalking incidents
Schoolgirls have been left frightened by suspicious incidents involving strangers in Newport, prompted their head teacher to offer personal safety guidance to all pupils.
Schoolgirls have been left frightened by suspicious incidents involving strangers in Newport, prompted their head teacher to offer personal safety guidance to all pupils.
Twice girls in Newport have been left scared and shaken. In one incident last month a man followed a 14-year-old girl as she walked along Forton Road and only stopped when she 'attached' herself to an unknown passerby.
Ros Garner, headteacher at Newport Girls' High School, has now forwarded a personal safety advice sheet to parents to discuss with their daughters.
In her e-mail she said: "There have now been two minor incidents on the outskirts of Newport where girls have felt uneasy when walking on their own.
"The attached poster has been circulated to all forms and we hope it will provide you with guidance on how to advise your daughter on her personal safety."
The advice sheet sent to parents has been issued by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and tells girls what to do in a variety of situations.
Advice includes sticking to busy, well-lit streets and travelling with a group of friends if possible, avoiding danger spots like subways and planning routes which have 'safe spots' like shops, friends' houses or a police station.
On public transport, it advises sitting close to the driver or guard, being aware of where alarms are and carrying fares or travel passes in hand rather than having to have purses on show.
Anyone who feels threatened is advised to get away from the situation as soon as possible, not panic and not be afraid to make as much noise as possible to draw attention to the situation.
The advice sheet also tells those being robbed to let go of bags, purses or wallets rather than risk injury by fighting back.
Telford police spokesman Chris Ammonds endorsed the advice in the Suzy Lamplugh Trust leaflet and urged anyone worried about similar incidents, however minor they might seem, to report them to police.
He added: "We would always ask people to report any suspicious behaviour.
"If anyone feels threatened by the behaviour of someone they don't know we want to hear about it.
"You never know when that information might be useful in the future."
