ABSTRACT
D, while waiting for a friend, noticed a young man walking towards him. The young man was smartly but casually dressed, wearing a personal stereo and headphones. The young man walked past him, made eye contact, smiled and proceeded to walk down the promenade in the small seaside town of Morecambe. As he walked away he repeatedly turned and re-established eye contact with D. D followed at a distance. Some way down the promenade the young man sat down on a bench. He continued to turn his head towards D, make eye contact and smile. Before D arrived at the bench the young man began to retrace his steps. He walked past D, looked him in the eye and smiled. D turned and followed, watching as the young man turned periodically to look at him. The young man then proceeded to enter a nearby public toilet. D followed but left when he discovered that the young man had entered a cubicle. A short time later the young man came out of the toilet and proceeded to sit nearby. D joined him and began a conversation. They talked for some time about the young man’s career, his likes and dislikes. He was a chef; he lived at home with his parents, lived a dull life in a small town. D asked if he would like to go for a drink. The offer was declined. D asked again; again it was declined. The young man suggested that they take a walk down the promenade. D thought this odd, became suspicious and declined the invitation. He then proceeded to leave, to return to his car. The young man followed. He caught up with D as they approached a bus stop. There they were joined by four other people, two men and two women. At that point, the young man announced that he was a member of the police force and introduced the others as police colleagues. They proceed to question D about his behaviour and his intentions. They suggested to him that he was trying to make sexual advances of a criminal kind (importuning and soliciting) to the young constable. They told D that his name and address would be recorded in a book at the local police station.
