Man arrested for exposure at Braintree college campus

Essex Police said it received a report that a man had been seen exposing himself at Colchester Institute’s Braintree campus in Church Lane at around 11am on October 7.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: "A man from London has been arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure following an incident in Braintree.

"A 26 year-old man from the Walthamstow area was arrested on Thursday 8 October on suspicion of indecent exposure.

"He has been released on bail with conditions preventing him from going to the location. He will return from bail on 10 December."

The incident has caused alarm among families connected to the college.

Concern - Families have been alarmed by the incident (Image: Google Maps)

One woman, who asked to remain anonymous and is the aunt of a student at the college, said she was shocked by what had happened and questioned whether enough focus had been placed on safeguarding concerns.

She said the family only became aware of the incident after a video, seen by the Times, was sent by other students to her niece, who attends the college.

"I’m pleased that this is being looked into, as it’s so important that our children within the community can feel safe and protected in their educational settings," she said.

"Every child deserves to feel safe where they learn, and I hope that by bringing these concerns to light, the right steps will be taken to ensure this."

Arrested - A man was arrested after allegedly exposing himself at the Colchester Institute Braintree Campus (Image: Essex Police)

The woman said her sister had contacted the college but was unhappy with the response she received.

She said: "As parents and families, we should be able to trust that these places are doing everything they can to protect our children, not feel like our concerns are being brushed aside."

She added: "The whole thing is really worrying, and I honestly think the focus needs to be on the safeguarding of our children and making sure something like this doesn't happen again."

A spokesperson for Colchester Institute said: "We were made aware of an incident on October 7 where we immediately implemented our safeguarding and safety procedures, as well as involving Essex Police and the person's employer in the matter.

"As this is an ongoing police investigation, we are unable to comment further at this time."