West Mercia Police have responded to a social media post that highlighted concerns over a man acting suspiciously in Sutton St Nicholas.
The post that appeared on Facebook yesterday said:
“On Wednesday 17th March 2.50pm a unnerving incident happened on the Hereford to Sutton road at the bridge over the Lugg.
“A lone women was walking her dog when a passer by spotted a man in black with a peak cap close to the dog walkers vehicle looking into the field. The dog walker turned around and saw the man duck low to hide by her car. The man’s presence seemed strange and the passer by turned their vehicle around and pulled into the same layby. With this, the man ran away and jumped over the barrier down to the river. After a few minutes of making sense of what had happened the passer by and dog walker went to see which direction the man had headed so as to report to the police. Shockingly they came face to face with this man hiding down the bank. Instantly realising the danger they possibly could be in the pair retreated to their cars and drove off. The incident was reported to the police and the police saw fit to search the area. However no one was found. Other people witnessed this man on the bridge at 2pm. It was said he was seen walking towards the village Sutton St Nicholas following the incident at 3.10. He had been watching for 20 minutes before being disturbed.
“The mans intentions are unknown but his behavior would suggest he has something to hide or is in fear of something himself. It was suggested the male sounded familiar to a local resident in Sutton however the police have said they do not believe it to be the same individual.
“The past year has been a struggle for all and everyone would agree our beautiful outdoor space has been a saving grace. Lets maintain the safety of our local communities.
“Stay vigilant and please if you have any information or reassurance on this matter or future occurrences contact 101.”
West Mercia Police have since responded by saying:
“The incident you have reported and the reason behind it are unknown to the police and we cannot give you any answers on this. I know Sutton do have a Facebook community page therefore you are more than welcome to report your incident on there to warn others. Other than that SNT will conduct patrols of the area and any suspicious persons will be challenged. We also recommend any further information or activity to be reported to us via 101 at the time.
“If you are concerned about walking your dogs, I would recommend going out with a friend to keep you company.”
