Two teenage girls in Swansea experienced a distressing incident on the evening of Thursday, 10 April, when they were reportedly followed by two men in a car after finishing work in the Uplands area of the city.
The 17-year-old and her 18-year-old colleague had completed their shift and decided to visit Tesco, which is located just a short distance from their workplace. It was during this time that they noticed a white BMW containing two men, who appeared to be watching them. The observations were made outside Tesco in Uplands, Swansea.
The girls’ mother, who has chosen to remain anonymous, recounted the events on behalf of her daughter. She explained, “They [the men] watched them both leave their place of work and walk to Tesco's, then followed them in their car as they [the girls] walked to my daughter's car.” The mother said that the BMW continued to follow the teenagers as they drove away, tailing them through Uplands and onward into Swansea city centre.
The situation escalated when the girls accidentally turned into a dead-end street, only to find the BMW was still pursuing them. The mother said, “She accidentally went down a dead-end road and they were still there. She was supposed to drop her colleague off to Swansea Bus Station but they were both too scared to do so.” Instead of parting ways as planned, the 18-year-old colleague stayed at the family home, as both girls felt unsafe continuing separately.
During the drive, the behaviour of the men in the BMW was described as threatening. “They were pulling beside them, smiling and gesturing, flashing their lights, driving very close to the rear then going in front and driving slowly,” said the mother. As the girls made their way back to Mumbles, the 17-year-old contacted her mother, who then called the emergency services. She recalled, “I rang 999 as my other daughter spoke to her on the phone. The police officer on the phone told them to turn back round and head straight to the police station. Once she did this, they left them. She was then advised by police it was safe to return home.”
The teenagers arrived home around 10.30pm, visibly shaken by the incident. The mother described them as “very shaken by the experience, it was very intimidating.”
Subsequently, officers from Sketty Police Station visited the family home on Saturday afternoon to take a formal statement from the 17-year-old girl.
The two men were described as being in their late 20s to early 30s, with brown skin; further details regarding their ethnicity have not been confirmed.
South Wales Police released a statement acknowledging the report of the vehicle following the two teenage girls in the Mumbles area on that evening. The spokesperson said, “We understand that this may have caused concern within the community, and we take matters of public safety very seriously. At present, we are making enquiries to establish the full circumstances of the incident.” The police encouraged anyone who witnessed the events or who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from the area around the time to come forward. Additional information can be provided by contacting the police via 101, quoting reference 2500115897, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The mother’s decision to share the experience is aimed at raising awareness, and the incident has highlighted concerns about the safety of young people traveling alone at night in the Swansea area.
Source: Noah Wire Services