WOMEN and young girls across the New Forest are being urged to be vigilant after five reports of a man exposing himself in recent weeks.

In the latest incident, at about 9.30am on Monday, a man was seen performing an indecent act as he drove a car, thought to be a white Fiat Tipo, around the car park at Totton Health & Leisure Centre.

All the indecent exposures have been targeted at woman and police have now stepped up patrols.

On Monday last week two schoolgirls saw a man indecently exposing himself near the Bartley skatepark, in Ashurst Bridge Road, between 4.30pm and 4.45pm.

The teenage girls were walking along a footpath leading to Ashurst Bridge when they saw the man in a wooded area nearby.

He is described as white, middle aged, and of medium to stocky build.

He was 5ft 10in to 5ft 11in and was wearing a blue shirt.

Police have alerted staff at nearby Testwood Sports College and Hounsdown School.

Pupils have been advised not to walk to and from school alone.

Police are also investigating three other similar incidents.

The first was at the skatepark in Ashurst Bridge Road, Totton, on Saturday, September 9, at 2.15pm.

Then, two days later at Bolton's Bench Cemetery in Lyndhurst at 3.30pm.

The third offence took place at Hazel Farm Road in Totton on Saturday September 16, at 4pm.

Hounsdown School said it had passed on the warning to its 1,200 pupils yesterday afternoon.

A spokesman said pupils had been urged to be vigilant, to think about their personal safety and contact the police by calling 999 if they saw anything suspicious.

PC Dorian Chapman of Totton police said: "We would like to reassure residents that we are taking these reports very seriously and would urge any witnesses to come forward."

Anyone with information relating to any of these incidents can contact Totton police on 0845 045 4545, or call Crime-stoppers on 0800 555 111.