Locals enjoying some of Swindon's outdoor spaces on a sunny Sunday were given a nasty surprise from several instances of men allegedly exposing themselves or masturbating in public.
Police confirmed they had responded to two separate incidents at Shaftesbury Lake and Stanton Woods at the weekend after concerned members of the public reported the lewd behaviour to them.
Both incidents were also posted onto the social media page Swindon Community Notice Board, sparking shock and anger from the town's online community.
One woman urged vigilance after she was harrased by a "vile young man sat exposed and masturbating" while walking her dog at Stanton Woods at 9am in the morning.
The "shook up" woman went on to say that the man tried to grab her dog so she "had to go near him". She contacted the police and officers responded and began a search of the area.
A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “On Sunday at around 8.50am, we received a report of a man indecently exposing himself in Stanton Woods, Swindon.
“Police attended the scene and carried out a thorough search of the area, but no suspect was located.
“He was described as white, in his early 30s and wearing a blue hoody and grey shorts.
Then, another report was made of a similar incident at Shaftesbury Lake, with a member of the public reporting a male "with his trousers down in the bushes" who scarpered when challenged.
Police once again responded, but like the first incident, weren't able to find anyone.
“We also received a separate, similar report, at Shaftesbury Lake at around 3.10pm yesterday afternoon," Wiltshire Police confirmed.
“Again, we carried out a search of the area, including using a drone, but nobody was located.
“On that occasion the man was described as white, in his late 20s or early 30s, wearing a dark grey or navy tracksuit, red t-shirt, black jacket and carrying a large bottle of red liquid. He was in the company of another man wearing a grey tracksuit and was possibly intoxicated."
Police have confirmed that they do not believe these two reports are linked at this stage.
Police have urged anyone with any information about the first incident please call 101, quoting crime reference 54220046996.
For information about the second incident please quote crime reference 54220047092.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here