Presenter Emma Louis Jones 'repeatedly stopped for photos by same man' in extremely worrying story
BBC presenter Emma Louis Jones has urged members of the public to pay attention to potentially uncomfortable situations as she described repeatedly being stopped by the same man while out in public.
Jones, who works on BBC's MOTDx, took to Instagram and Twitter to detail the unnerving experiences she's had over 'the last few days' while she's been taking her puppy out for a walk.
The presenter said she'd only been walking near her house, but that on numerous occasions she'd run into the same man, who 'repeatedly stopped her'.
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Jones regularly receives floods of comments from fans when she shares insights to her life, including snaps around her house, on social media, and has racked up almost 400,000 followers on Instagram.
However, far from Jones choosing to take some pictures herself while on her walks, the man has reportedly told her he 'wants to take photos' of her, 'along with other stuff' that Jones chose not to expand upon.
She shared her story to help shed light on the impact of this kind of behaviour, saying: "This makes women/girls feel uncomfortable & I would urge anyone who sees what looks like an uncomfortable interaction to not just ignore it and walk past."
Jones told her followers they 'don't always have to intervene', but added: "Even just having the presence of someone else nearby can be reassuring."
When one Twitter user responded to Jones to advise her to tell the man to 'jog on', Jones replied: "I would love to, but it’s not that easy when you’re alone in a situation with a stranger who’s being weird.
"I didn’t know what he might do, so I’d rather just get out of the situation in whichever way possible, as quickly as possible."
Many of Jones' fans shared supportive comments for the presenter in the wake of her frightening ordeal, with one commenting: "I’m sorry you have to suffer that. Needs reporting and every woman should feel safe when out without been ambushed or harassed."
Another added: "Why on earth would a complete stranger just stop anyone, let alone female and ask such questions…. Needs to be sorted before it could go the wrong way."
It's unclear whether Jones has reported the man's actions to police, but his behaviour could fall into the category of stalking or harassment.
Police UK explains stalking and harassment is 'when someone repeatedly behaves in a way that makes you feel scared, distressed or threatened', with sexual harassment in particular involving 'an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment'.
Stalking and harassment can be reported to police online, by calling 101 or by visiting a police station. Find more information on reporting here.
Emily Brown