pic: reclaim the night

Social networking has uncovered a number of incidences of indecent exposure in the Brockley and New Cross areas over the last few months.

Breakspears Road, Barriedale, Millmark Grove and Jerningham Road have all been mentioned as roads where a man has indecently exposed himself to either a group of women or an individual. It doesn’t appear to be the same offender each time and it could be a number of different men.

The frequency of these incidents first came to light in a blog post on Brockley Central. A local woman wanted to warn others of the danger after she encountered 3 incidents within 3 months in the Brockley area. Many people have since commented on the site revealing similar experiences.

Megan Constable, 20, a student at Goldsmiths College, has experienced the same man exposing himself to her twice. She said: “I encountered the flasher once on Jerningham Road and again down Millmark Grove.”

“We were walking down the road when we noticed this man laying in a front garden bollock naked with just a hat on. We were a little stunned but assumed it was just some man passed out. When we turned the corner he came running down on the opposite side of the road to us in just his hat and an anorak jacket waving his willy at us.”

“I felt threatened and intimidated, I was also afraid to say anything incase he turned violent or had a weapon handy. I think this man is disgusting, he gets his kicks out of being an exhibitionist and intimidating young people at night.”

Police Sergeant Mark Deacon, from Brockley Safe Neighbourhood Team, was “surprised” to hear of the incidences as nothing had been officially reported to his team.

PS Deacon said that the police cannot just act on hearsay or ‘Chinese whispers’ on the internet but need victims to come forward and urged: “Anyone who experiences a flasher or has done in the past to report it to the police so that action can be taken. We take all crime seriously.”