I was left frightened and shaking after a man in a car followed and propositioned me in Blackpool
.jpeg?trim=1,0,3,0&crop=&width=640&quality=70&enable=upscale)
A woman was left “visibly upset and shaking” after reportedly being followed and propositioned by a man in a car while walking alone through a residential area in Blackpool.
The woman - who asked to remain anonymous - was walking from the town centre to a friend’s house on Friday morning when she noticed a car repeatedly following her.
She crossed the road several times and changed her route, but the vehicle continued to follow her as she made her way onto Wall Street, near the junction with Smithy Mews, at around 11.30am.
.jpeg?trim=1,0,3,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
The man reportedly slowed down, rolled down his window and propositioned her for money.
She refused, but says he persisted until her friend - who had been outside hanging up washing - heard the exchange and intervened, prompting the man to leave.
“It was really creepy,” she said. “I felt very scared and it completely unnerved me.”
“Where my friend lives is a dead end, so nobody goes down there unless you live there or you’re visiting. It was clear he was trying to do something.”
At one point during the encounter, she pulled out her phone to record the interaction.
In the footage, the man can be heard asking if she has a boyfriend and how much it would take for her to get in his car.
“Initially I thought I might be being paranoid, questioning whether he was actually following me or if it was just a coincidence,” she said.
“But then I realised it was definitely happening and the smartest thing to do was to get my phone out quickly.”
She said the incident has left her feeling deeply shaken.
“I woke up last night completely soaked in sweat and frightened. I felt vulnerable, and I just think it’s wrong,” she added.
“I know it shouldn’t affect me like this because it’s letting people like that win, but I really think things are getting worse in that area.”
The incident was reported to Lancashire Police. She says officers told her the car was not registered locally, but that they would “keep an eye out for it.”
Lancashire Police have been approached for comment.