The mother of a Hampshire schoolgirl left traumatised and angry after being targeted by a flasher has hit out at the police for taking three days to contact them.

The woman’s 14-year-old daughter was walking home in Andover on Saturday afternoon. As she crossed the bridge by Lady’s Walk, a man started masturbating in front of her and tried to block her access.

“She was on her own. A man was on the bridge urinating. As she walked past, he stopped her and said, ‘Can you wait there so I can finish myself off?’” her mum told The Advertiser.

“She ran all the way home and was crying her eyes out. We called 101 straight away but they told me everything was done online. So we sat there filling the form out, we got a generic email to say it had been passed on.

“We heard nothing else until 4.25pm today (Monday). We got a call to ask could we have the description. The police didn’t even ask how our daughter was doing. They said they’ll put it on social media as they get a better reaction that way.

The mum said police told her "everything was being done from home" which meant things were "much slower". 

She continued: “I can’t believe it has taken them this long to get in touch. We know of course that Covid is a factor. But no one has even come out to see how she is doing. She is 14 years old. She deserves better treatment than that. I would like to police to apologise to her. A visit would have at least reassured her.”

The parent, 40, said her daughter has been left “traumatised and angry” about the situation. “She is not ok at the moment but she will be,” the mother said.

The family, who live in Picket Twenty, have been left so disappointed in the response from police that they’ve written to the town's MP Kit Malthouse, who also serves as policing minister

The mum said: “I don’t think [the police] has done enough or taken it seriously. I know they’ve said they will do some extra patrols in the area but I can’t believe it’s taken them this long to act.”

The parent said the busy walkway – where the incident happened – is often used by children including her daughter on the school run.

“We’ve never had an issue with her walking on her own before. She uses that bridge all the time to get to Co-op and school,” she said.

The mother hopes Test Valley Police will apologise and make an effort to catch the pervert.

She said: “I would like the police to apologise to my daughter but I also just want him caught. I don’t know if other people have been reporting him too.”

The offender is described as being a white, British male with a local accent with brown hair and a brown beard.

He is described as being extremely thin, with his white shorts and vest “hanging off him”. He is described as being between 5”8 to 5”9.

A spokesman for Test Valley Police said they have upped patrols in the area, writing: “We have received reports of a male exposing himself in the Picket Twenty area.

“We will be patrolling in and around Picket Twenty and officers are working to try and identify the male.

“If you have any information please contact 101 quoting 44200301280.”