A mother today warned parents to be on the alert after claiming her three-year-old daughter was followed around a supermarket by a man.

The family have been left so fearful by the incident that the child is no longer allowed to go outside unless strapped to an adult by a harness.

The woman said her daughter was shopping with her grandmother and younger brother in Sainsbury's in East Mayne when the girl was approached by a man who touched her and followed her down the next five aisles.

The man disappeared when staff were notified, but CCTV cameras in the store failed to catch any images of him.

The child's mother - who does not want to be named - said: "We were outraged and horrified because my daughter was standing with an adult, yet she still was not safe just walking around in a local supermarket."

The man has been described as about 36 years old, nearly six foot tall, quite well built with brownish hair with a rugged appearance. He was wearing a black jacket with a fluorescent orange sleeveless jacket over the top.

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "We take such incidents extremely seriously. On this occasion the CCTV did not pick up the person in question, but our security guards and colleagues did their utmost to help the customer and will continue to remain vigilant."

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "All parents and adults with children should be mindful of where their children are, but we should not get the incident out of proportion."

Published Thursday October 17, 2002

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