Women have been urged not to walk alone and students given safety advice after police launched an investigation into reports of a "man in black" following a teenage girl.

It is the latest in a series of worrying incidents in Helston, including an allegation of rape on a 18-year-old woman and a report of two men attempting to lure a woman into their car.

The girl, understood to be a student at Helston Community College, said she had "never been so petrified" following the incident last Wednesday.

She claims that as she walked home from college, at around 6pm, a man started to follow her opposite Cornish Farmers and continued towards the Water-Ma-Trout Industrial Estate.

The girl, whose identity the Packet has chosen to protect for her safety, took to Facebook to write a warning that has since been shared countless times.

Writing under the heading "This is urgent," she said: "I hate that I'm having to write this but it's very important that everyone is safe.

"I was just walking home from a late night working at college, at about 18:00, and I noticed there was a man dressed in black standing on the corner opposite Cornwall Farmers in Helston, near the kitchen showroom.

"I read a report about a guy that matched this description in Camborne the other day, but I decided to think nothing of it until I started walking past him and he said, 'Oh hello...' and got off the wall and started following me.

"I immediately panicked and started to walk as fast as I could down the hill because I knew if I ran he could catch me and it would give me time to think.

"I texted a friend as I was right outside the Light and Life Centre, where I knew she was, and was just about to ring home when she rang me and ran to find me. As she came out this man ran down the hill into Pendeen Park estates.

"I'm so lucky to be safe right now; if [my friend] wasn't there who knows what would have happened.

"I'm writing this to say absolutely anyone, especially in Helston, must stay safe and not walk anywhere alone right now. I have never been so petrified in my life."

She encouraged people to share the post, "so no one else gets caught by this creep."

The girl added: "All the reports I've heard about things like this happening have been really late or in the early hours in the morning, so I thought I was fine. Don't be as stupid as me please."

Worried parents, who have heard about the incident, have contacted Helston Community College about the safety of their children.

As a result the college, together with police, has been working with students on how to stay safe, including keeping to busy areas, not making detours down backstreets or alleyways, and walking in pairs.

A post on the college's Facebook page reads: "The college is aware of the concerns which some parents and students have expressed over safety when children are walking home from college (especially after dark). We have been in touch with the police and they are aware and responding.

"Heads of progress and tutors are working with all our students to remind them of what they can do to keep themselves safe after leaving the college to walk home."

The girl's Facebook post has attracted many concerned comments on the social networking site.

Paula Leigh Reid said: "I'm not letting my 17-year-old walk home from the college bus now," believing it was "just not safe at the moment."

Rah Holden agreed: "God that's awful, it's scary when it's on your own doorstep as well. Glad she got away."

Inspector Ian Thompson, of the Falmouth and Helston police sector, confirmed that it remained an ongoing police investigation and advised people to "exercise caution".

"If anyone is out and about and they see someone they don't recognise and they feel they're being followed, get to somewhere they feel safe and call the police, and we'll come and investigate as quickly as possible.

"We will try and speak to the individual, as there could be a very simple and innocent explanation as to why they're in the area."

He added that anyone who felt in fear for their safety should call 999 and said: "What I would stress is to get to a place of safety as quickly as possible - a populated area where there's people."

Two similar incidents have also been reported within the last week.

Truro, Perranporth and Tregony Police wrote on their official Facebook page about a black Toyota car, "with large amounts of smoke coming out of its exhaust" stopping at Threemilestone and the "clean shaven, white male driver" offering a woman a lift, leaving her "shaken".

Another Facebook post, from a mother in Camborne, spoke about her daughter being followed home as she walked through Pengegon at 7.30pm, by a man "wearing a dark parka coat."

However, Inspector Thompson said that police did not believe these were three connected incidents involving the same offender, despite a degree of similarity.