THE public are being warned about a serial flasher who -- a councillor claims -- has been operating in a park for the last 15 years.

The man last struck at the weekend when he revealed himself to a 44-year-old woman in Milnshaw Park, Accrington, and stood grinning at her while she called the police.

PC Jon Walsh said the man was described as about 50 years old, 5ft 9ins tall, with grey untidy hair, and was wearing a grey shirt and a long blue fleece.

Although he said they were treating this as an unrelated incident, residents believe the man has targeted the park before.

Coun Malcolm Pritchard, of Moss Hall Road, said the park was known to have a flasher for the last 15 years. And he called for the borough's community wardens to patrol the park, which is now in Central ward.

Community wardens, run in partnership by the police and Hyndburn Council, are funded by government money and operate in the four priority wards of Barnfield, Springhill, Central and Church.

He also said the council would be pruning back the trees and bushes in the winter to make the park safer, and give people like the flasher fewer places to hide.

A resident who lives in Lupin Close, but did not want to be named, said she saw the man hiding in bushes, but when she returned with a gardener he had disappeared.

The latest incident happened on a path running into the park from the Asda store, off Hyndburn Road, at 9.30am last Saturday.

PC Walsh said: "The woman was approached by a man who exposed himself. She was quite upset because he just stood there grinning at her while she called the police. She was concerned because she didn't know what he was going to do."

Coun Pritchard said: "This has been going on for years and years. When my mother lived in Lancaster Avenue we had some friends who said there was a flasher in the park and that was 15 years ago.

"I want the community wardens to patrol the park so this person can finally be caught. I've also got the council to prune the trees and bushes."

The resident of Lupin Close said: "This has been going on for some years. I know the flasher waits for school children and a couple of women. I saw a figure in the bushes a while back, so I ran to get the gardener, but when the gardener tried to find him he had vanished. The park wants clearing up."

Inspector Phil Cottam said he would look into the councillor's claim, and added: "I will have a word with the community wardens and see if they can patrol the park. In the meantime we will be doing all we can to catch this person.

"We would ask anyone with information to ring 01254 382141, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."