A LAINDON teenage girl was flashed by a man near Ballards Walk in Laindon last Wednesday in an incident that police describe as "upsetting".

The incident took place at 3.55pm on Wednesday 6 November, with police reporting a man exposing himself and making inappropriate comments to the youngster.

The victim was not physically harmed during the assault and was able to leave the area. 

The suspected flasher is described as having a small beard and wearing joggers and a black T shirt at the time of the assault. 

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We’re investigating an incident which took place in Ballards Walk, Basildon, at 3.55pm on Wednesday 6 November.

"A teenage girl reported a man who was standing next to a blue car with black stripes near to the shops approached her and made an inappropriate comment before exposing himself to her.

"Thankfully, she was not harmed and was able to leave the area. 

"The man was described as having a small beard and wearing jogging bottoms and a black t-shirt. 

"At this stage, no arrests have been made"

Inspector Steve Parry said: “I know that this has been an upsetting incident and may cause concern to parents and the wider community.

“We’re investigating the circumstances around the incident and we’re asking for anyone who may have information to contact us.

“We take these incidents seriously and would ask anyone who has concerns about similar incidents to report to us.

“Our Children and Young Person officers will be attending the nearby school to talk to staff to give advice on keeping safe and how to report anything suspicious.

“We will be conducting reassurance patrols alongside community safety wardens so that anyone with concerns can stop and talk to us.”

"We need anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam or doorbell footage of it to get in touch. If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.

"You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. 

"It can be found at the bottom right of our homepage at www.essex.police.uk.  Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about our website reporting services. Alternatively, you can call us on 101".