A LETTER warning parents about a man who indecently exposed himself in a field where children play has been distributed by a Burnley headteacher.

A man was seen on two separate occasions in the same area this week.

The headteacher of St James Lane Head Primary School, Briercliffe Road, Burnley, took action by sending out a formal letter after a worried parent contacted her.

Jennifer Burnskill said: "A pupil came to me saying he had seen a suspicious man staring at him while he was playing in the field at the back of Lydgate. The man didn't do or say anything to him, but he made the pupil feel uneasy, which is why he reported it to me.

"Then his mother was out the following afternoon on Tuesday walking her dog in the field when she spotted what we think was the same man, standing there with his pants down.

"He was near some trees in the field, which is used by a lot of local children as a play area.

"We do not want to cause panic for parents, but the aim of the letter was to make sure that parents are aware of the situation.

"It goes dark quite early now, so this is a real concern for us. If parents know what has been reported then they can make sure children are not out in the dark. This is very sad but, unfortunately, that is the society we live in today."

The letter warns parents to be extra vigilant and to be cautious about letting children play out in the dark.

Mrs Burnskill added: "Quite a few parents got very upset about this. The last thing I want to do is scare people, but they do need to be aware of this so they can act in the appropriate way."

Police were today looking into the matter. Detective Sergeant Derek Jones said: "We are actively following up this incident which was reported to us earlier in the week.

"If anybody knows who this man is then they should contact us."

Anybody with any information is asked to ring Burnley CID on 01282 472144.