A man has been spotted allegedly exposing himself and masturbating behind trees in Lewisham, making residents "feel vulnerable in a place we love."
The man, described as being young, has been spotted on multiple occasions hiding behind a tree in Ladywell Fields park and watching people.
A local dog walker said they then caught him on Tuesday "full exposure, being really weird (masturbating)" and managed to snap him as he walked away.
The Met has been informed about the incident, and if spotted the public is encouraged to phone police with a location.
The dog walker, who didn't want to be named, said she was walking the dogs on Friday, February 7, when a friend spotted his shoes and realised the man was hiding behind a tree watching them.
Later that day, around 2:50pm, the man was reportedly spotted again by a different friend, this time sat openly by a fallen tree masturbating.
He has been spotted each time near the narrow pathway by the railway bridge in Ladywell Fields (as shown below), before fleeing towards the Dresington Avenue side of the park.
He was spotted a third time on Tuesday, February 11, when the pictures were taken.
The dog walker told the News Shopper that she was "angry that he has made her, her friends and acquaintances feel vulnerable in a place that we love, and walk in daily."
She added: "He's made me fear a potential attack and when I go there now I can't relax."
Whilst not confirmed, a similar sighting occurred in December when a woman was walking her dogs in the dark in the nearby Hilly Fields.
One of her dogs "flushed out a man from the bushes hiding in the darkest unlit area" of the park who was wearing a padded nylon jacket.
The witness said: "He seemed all wrong somehow and stormed off but then when he was a distance off stopped as though he was having thoughts about coming back."
On October 13, another woman was walking in Ladywell Fields when a "hooded man hiding in a bush made a kind of hissing noise at me," causing her to walk in the other direction.
"He was fully clothed but looked as if he may have had his hand down his pants! It was hard to be sure as I just saw his silhouette."
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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 hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel