The police are hunting a man who exposed himself to a boy this morning by a Welwyn Garden City primary school.

Police were called at 9.10am to Watchlytes Primary School to reports that a man had exposed himself to a boy in an alleyway near to the school.

A police spokeswoman said: “This is being linked to an incident that occurred on Friday just before 2pm in Herns Lane.”

On Friday a man described as white, aged in his 40s, around 5ft 6in tall and of stocky build, was seen indecently exposing himself by a member of the public before he ran off in the direction of Morrisons.

He had an untidy brown beard and was wearing a blue jacket, blue jogging bottoms with stripes down the side, stripy trainers and a blue baseball cap with a hood over the top.

Sergeant David Stansbury, from the Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “This was obviously a distressing incident for the young boy and I understand that many parents will be concerned about what has happened.

“We are following a number of significant enquiries to identify and arrest the offender and, in the meantime, patrols are being increased in the local area.

“I’m appealing for anyone who believes they have seen the offender or may know who is responsible to get in touch with me by calling Hertfordshire Constabulary’s non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference B1/17/3982.

“If there is a crime in progress always dial 999.”