THREE men seen taking photographs of children at a Blackburn primary school have sparked a warning to parents.

Meadowhead Community Junior and Infant Schools, in Anglesey Street, issued a letter to parents after the men were noticed outside acting suspiciously.

Headteacher Allison Chadwick said, in the letter, ‘three men were seen at the infant school behaving in a suspicious manner’.

She said: “They were seen walking up and down the path between the two schools and also trying to take photographs of children.”

The head goes on to describe how a member of the school staff approached the men, and reported the matter to the police.

Last week, Blackburn police issued a warning to parents in the Shadsworth area of Blackburn to rem-ain vigilant, and report any suspicious activity, after a man driving a red van was reported to have approached two girls, aged nine and six.

Meadowhead Junior and Infant Schools have now requested that children are picked up at school by ‘responsible adults’, and that pupils are no longer encouraged to walk home alone.

Kelly Willoughby, a mum who lives in the area, said: “It is messed up. You expect your children to be safe at school. I just don’t know what’s happening to this town. You’re frightened to take your eyes off your child for one second.”

The school has asked for parents and carers to be ‘extra vigilant’ and report any suspicious activity to them, and to call the police.

Nearby St Peters RC Primary School, in Hawkins Avenue, said it had not received any similar rep-orts at the school, but had been alerted about the incid- ent and were ‘on guard.’ A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “The school reported this incident at 9.20am on Monday, and we are investigating. We are checking CCTV from some nearby properties, and have spoken to staff at the school.

“The men are described as Asian males in their early 20s, and all were wearing hoodies.

“One of them was seen taking photographs of the children with a silver digital camera.”