A man has been arrested following reports of students being approached by a suspicious person in Christchurch.

Detective Constable Andrea McDowell said police began investigating after reports of concern in the Merivale and St Albans areas on 4 August, carrying out enquiries and checking CCTV to identify the man involved.

To widen the investigation, a letter was sent to 11 schools in the area alerting them to the offending, which led to more reports of students being approached.

A 53 year old man is due to appear in the Christchurch District Court today on charges of breaching release conditions.

“We want to thank the community for their caring response and for providing the information that helped us to identify the man,” McDowell said.

“Reports like this are concerning and we hope the arrest brings some comfort to the community.”

McDowell said the incident was also a timely reminder for parents to:

• Educate children about how to keep themselves safe when walking to and from school, including being mindful of their surroundings and avoiding distractions.
• Have open discussions about behaviours that are inappropriate or make a child feel uncomfortable.
• Reinforce that if they feel concerned for their safety, or someone else’s, they should call 111 immediately.