A SCHOOL has warned parents after a worrying incident where a man was seen "naked from the waist down" in a car.

Beauchamps High School, in Wickford, wrote to parents this week after the incident occurred just hours after school in Wick Lane, close to the railway bridge.

A student reported seeing a ‘white male sitting in a silver saloon type car naked from the waist down’.

While the man reportedly made no attempt to approach the student, the incident has raised concerns due to the route’s frequent use by children.

In a letter, deputy headteacher Darren Windeatt told parents the incident had been reported to police and is being investigated.

He wrote: “One day after school, one of our students was walking on Wick Lane towards the bridge that crosses the railway line when they witnessed a white male sitting in a silver saloon type car naked from the waist down.

“He was just sitting there and made no attempt to make contact with our student but as Wick Lane is used by many of our students to cross the railway line, I have been asked by Essex Police to make you aware of this information.

“The male has not been seen since, but the police believe it is likely that other students may have seen the male and if this is the case can you please let me know so that I can put you in contact with the officer in charge of the investigation.

“I would emphasise that no attempt to engage with the student was made and nor have there been any further incidents and as such Essex Police have confirmed the risk to our students is minimal but both ourselves and Essex Police wanted all parents to be aware of this incident.

“Should any of your children experience an incident such as this in future our advice is to make no contact with the stranger, to move away quickly from them and to go home and report it immediately to an adult who should then contact Essex Police.”

The incident occurred on October 10, at around 3:30pm, but Mr Windeatt says the school were only made aware of the incident last week.

He confirms Essex Police have been investigating the incident and confirmed the risk to students is "minimal".

Mr Windeatt adds the school has taken the action recommended by Essex Police and in line with their own safeguarding procedures. 

A spokesman for Essex Police added: "We are investigating an incident in Wickford in which it was reported that a man “flashed” at a schoolgirl.

"A teenage girl reported that a man sitting in a silver car exposed himself at around 3.20pm on 10 October at Wick Lane, Wickford.

"The girl was unharmed and the car left the area. The man did not get out of the car at any time.

W"e are carrying out enquiries to trace the man and the car and would ask anyone who was in the area at the time to check their dashcam footage to see if they have captured anything that could help our enquiries.

"Please quote crime reference 42/154952/24 when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible."