Police are linking five incidents where young and teenage girls have been followed by a man in Stowmarket.

A 10-year-old girl and her friends were walking in the Kersey Close area at around 3.20pm on Wednesday when she noticed a man standing on the pavement as the group walked through a nearby footpath.

He then followed them for a short while until the managed to lose him.

The same girl also reported a similar incident on Friday, December 12 where a man followed her and a group of girls along the same route around a similar time.

From this incident the offender is described as a white man, of a medium build, approximately 5ft 8in tall, aged in his twenties and wearing a grey hooded jumper, black trousers and black trainers.

Following enquiries police are now linking these two incidents with others that have happened in the town recently.

One was on Tuesday, November 4 at around 5.30pm in Prentice Road where a 16-year-old girl was approached in a car park and grabbed on the neck before she was able to run away.

Another happened on Friday, November 28 between 8am and 8.30am in Melford Road. A 12-year-old girl was followed by a man who appeared to be taking photographs of her.

The last incident was in Stowupland Road on Monday, December 8 at approximately 5pm where a 16-year-old girl was followed by an unknown man.

Anyone with information relating to these crimes should contact Bury CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.