School head issues Facebook ‘grooming’ alert from police

Warden Park head teacher Steve Johnson has sent an email to parents and carers warning of a Facebook ‘grooming’ alert and using a man’s name that is causing concern to Sussex Police.

Mr Johnson is chief executive officer of the Warden Park Academy Trust, which runs 1,500-pupil Warden Park Academy in Cuckfield and the 200-pupil Warden Park Primary Academy in Haywards Heath.

He says: “Please advise your sons and daughters be on the lookout for any contact from someone using the name Mike Jenson.

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“If your sons or daughters have been approached by someone using this name, please inform PC Andy Price immediately (contact details below).”

Warden Park is celebrating another good year for GCSEsWarden Park is celebrating another good year for GCSEs
Warden Park is celebrating another good year for GCSEs

In his email Mr Johnson adds a general warning about the use of the internet for social media by children and young people.

He says: “Please remind your children that it is a very bad idea for them to accept Friend requests from people they do not know and that they should never meet up with someone they do not know. The minimum age for signing up for Facebook is 13.”

By using Facebook, people are able to send a message to a Facebook account holder asking for the owner of that account to allow them to be ‘a friend’, and therefore to be able to see information about them and send messages, privately as well as messages that can be seen by other ‘friends’.

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PC Andy Price CP812 is the Neighbourhood Schools Officer of Mid Sussex District NPT.

He can be contacted at Burgess Hill Police Station, The Brow, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9BU.

He can be contacted by telephone on the general Sussex Police number of 101, Ext 536250, or on his mobile - 07766423998.

PC Price’s email address is [email protected]