THE MOTHER of an 11-year-old girl who had a 'scary' experience with an old man at a Tesco in Cornwall has spoken out about what she fears 'could' have happened.

Natalie Goldsworthy, 36, and her daughter Roxy Saunders, 11, have told the Packet how an incident this week involving Roxy being 'followed' in a shop has Natalie fearing for what could have been and wanting to spread awareness.

The incident took place early evening on Wednesday (January 18) when Roxy and a friend, also 11, visited Tesco in Helston.

Roxy said: "We were walking around just trying to find some snacks, and this old man kept watching us.

"I didn't think anything of it.

"Then this old lady came to us who was keeping an eye on him, and she was like 'this man keeps staring at you, I suggest you go back to your parents.'

"I told her we didn't have a parent."

After being made aware of the man's alleged behavior, the two girls decided they would leave and went to pay for their things.

Roxy continued: "He kept following us, and I went and told two more workers that were there.

"My friend thought it was a good idea to just walk around and see if he would follow us.

"I thought we should just got home now, so my friend went to check and see if he had left.

"He'd gotten in his van and stayed there with the lights on for a couple of minutes until my mum got there. Once he saw her he drove off.

"He was really tall, which actually kinda scared me quite a lot, he was going on six foot something."

She said he had "scruffy" clothes on. 

Mum Natalie explained that she had understandably been quite concerned when faced with this situation.

She said: "I said to my partner, 'we're going to go now and get them.'

"I was obviously quite angry, thinking 'I hope he's still there.'

"When we drove in, he spotted us and drove off, he hadn't bought anything.

"Roxy's friend also said she'd spotted him looking for them down the aisles.

"It was too suspicious, his actions were just too suspicious to have just been a man wandering around in Tesco.

"What worries me is what would have happened if nobody had clocked he was following them? 

"I know he hasn't committed any offences and I know they can't arrest him for what he did, but the fact they're being made aware of it and other people are made aware of it could mean he can't do anything like this to somebody."

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police are investigating a report of suspicious behaviour by a male customer in a Helston supermarket.

"Two young girls were reportedly followed by a man in Tesco between 8.10pm and 8.30pm on Wednesday, 18 January.

"Enquiries are ongoing."