COPS have launched an urgent warning for girls not to travel to school alone after a man with a foot-sniffing fetish tried to grab several students.
Three of the girls are aged between 10 and 15 - and on each occasion the man has touched the children’s shoes or feet without their permission.
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One teen walking down an alley feared the worst when the stranger with hairy legs crept up behind and grabbed her.
He dragged her to the ground and she screamed as he reached for her legs - but he stole her shoes, sniffed them and ran off clutching them to his nose.
Avon and Somerset Police today issued an e-fit of the weirdo who's said to have a foot-sniffing fetish.
There have been several reports in Gloucestershire of him taking shoes off girls' feet and sniffing them.
Police issued a warning to schoolgirls in the area today and appealed for help from the public to catch him.
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They said three female South Gloucestershire and Stroud College students - all walking alone - have been approached by the man.
He asks them what the time is - before taking their shoes off and sniffing their feet.
The college says police are investigating the incidents and are urging students not to make their daily commute alone.
Police said they are seeing if there are links to a report in March of a girl being touched inappropriately in a Yate underpass.
'DON'T WALK ALONE'
In a statement, the college said: "The police have advised students not to walk to or from college alone, have mobile phones with them when walking to and from college and to call 999 straight away if any unknown male tries to come up to them or speak to them without a valid reason."
Meanwhile the police explained: "We’re re-issuing an e-fit and appeal for information following a third incident of a girl being inappropriately touched by a man in the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area.
"The appeal was issued as part of enquiries into incidents in Slimbridge Close, Yate, at about 4pm on Friday 14 January and a similar incident at 4.30pm on Monday 21 March in an underpass near Abbotswood, Yate.
"In the first incident the man was described as white, in his 20s and about 5ft 9ins tall with blond hair. He wore a light red, blue and white block colour coat, dark trousers and blue trainers. The e-fit we released was based on this description.
"Officers are keeping an open mind as to whether the incidents are linked with a third which happened in Robin Way, Chipping Sodbury, at about 3.15pm on Thursday 26 May.
"The three girls are aged between 10 and 15 and on each occasion the man has touched the children’s shoes or feet without their permission.
"Following the earlier appeal we’ve been grateful for a number of calls with information, which are all being assessed and followed-up.
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"Officers continue to carry out targeted patrols in Yate and Chipping Sodbury, and have contacted local secondary schools to make sure children and their parents and carers were aware of the issue.
"If you recognise the man in the image, or have information which could help the investigation, please call 101 and give the call handler the reference 5222011047 (14 January); 5222067867 (21 March) or 5222125160 (26 May)."
