COPS are hunting for two suspicious men who were reportedly seen “filming and taking pictures of children” at a Scots play park on Mother’s Day.
Officers said they received a report of the pair acting suspiciously at the playground in Barshaw Park, Paisley, on Sunday.
The incident was reported to have taken place on Glasgow Road at around 4.45pm.
One concerned family took to Facebook to share their experience and warn others about the duo, who were allegedly “sitting on a bench taking pictures and videos of children in the park.”
Lyndsey Crawford, who had been at the park with her nine-year-old son Rory, said she was alerted by a friend about the men reportedly filming children playing on their phones.
Sharing images and video footage of the men, Lyndsey wrote: “This is a post to raise awareness for all parents!
“When we arrived at the play area, Rory ran off to climb, play, and have fun.
“Shortly afterwards, I received a call from a friend informing me that two men were sitting on a bench filming and photographing children in the park, including near where Rory was playing.
“My partner James and I went to check on Rory, and we saw the two men filming a small boy, who looked to be about four years old.
“James confronted the men, and I took the boy to find his parents.
“When James spoke to them, it was clear that they had zoomed in on the child.
“On being confronted, the men appeared panicked and apologised, saying they would delete the footage.
“They left the park shortly afterwards when we mentioned the police.
“Shockingly, we then noticed several other men engaging in similar behaviour—some were alone, while others were in pairs.
“We decided to leave the park with Rory and headed straight to the police station to report the incident.
“What started as a lovely sunny day at the park turned into a deeply upsetting and distressing experience.
“It is frightening and heartbreaking to think that our children are not safe in their own community on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
“Please stay vigilant and take extra care with your children.”
Police Scotland tonight has issued an appeal to trace the two individuals.
The first man is described as Asian, in his mid-30s, of slim build, with a long black beard. He was wearing a black turban, a cream jumper, a black body warmer, and a yellow rucksack.
The second man is described as Asian, in his mid-20s, of slim build, with a short dark beard. He was wearing a baseball cap, a black jumper with white writing on the sleeves, and black trousers.
Detectives have urged locals to check their CCTV cameras to see if they captured footage of the men matching these descriptions.
Detective Inspector David Hardie added: “We are appealing to speak with anyone who may recognise these men or can assist in identifying them.
“Enquiries are ongoing, and additional patrols will be deployed in the area.
“If you have private CCTV footage from the vicinity of the park, please check to see if the men described appear in the recordings.”