Man exposes himself to teenager and tries to grab her near cemetery in Colne

The 15-year-old told police that she had been walking along Walton Lane, near the cemetery, when she was confronted by the man at around 10.30pm.

The girl said she had been using her mobile phone before she looked up and saw a man stood in front of her, blocking her path.

The man exposed himself and then tried to grab hold of her, but the young girl managed to break away and run to safety.

A police spokesman said: "A 15-year-old girl who is a pupil at at FisherMoore School, Colne was walking home on Walton Lane, near the cemetery, on November 20 at approximately 10.30pm.

"She was using her mobile phone whilst walking when she then notices a man stood in front of her, and his trousers are around his ankles exposing himself.

"The male has then tried to grab hold of her.

"He is described as a white male, aged in his 20s with a beard, who was wearing a black beanie hat, black jumper and a chain around his neck."

Anyone with information can contact Lancashire Police on 101. No crime reference number has been provided at this stage.

The incident follows a newly published report that found more than half of young women and girls in the UK had experienced some form of harassment during the summer.

The survey, by girls' rights organisations Plan International UK and Our Streets Now, found 51% of young women had been catcalled, followed, groped, flashed at and upskirted.

The groups are calling for the public sexual harassment of girls to be made a specific criminal offence, with the launch of a #CrimeNotCompliment campaign.

"Girls feel that it won't be taken seriously," Rose Caldwell, chief executive of Plan International UK, said.

"Sometimes they feel that they might be blamed. They are not to blame. The people to blame are the harassers and they're the people who need to change their behaviour."

The campaigners hope a clear law that criminalises all forms of public sexual harassment will make girls more likely to report cases that do occur.

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