A man in his 30s has been arrested after allegedly approaching several schoolchildren and inciting sexual acts.

It happened on Thursday morning, while they were on their way to school in St Helier.

The students told school staff who reported it to Jersey Police.

A man was arrested at a private address later in the morning and remains in Police custody.

A spokesperson for the Education Department says the incident is being investigated:

"We are aware of a small number of school children being inappropriately approached by a member of the public in St. Helier. These incidents happened outside school time, but children reported them to staff at one of the town schools who passed the information onto the police.

"Parents are reminded to talk to their children about what to do if the actions of a stranger make them feel uncomfortable: they should ignore them, get to a public place, and tell someone. Parents are also being asked to take simple safety precautions such as arranging for children to walk with a friend to and from school."

Jersey Police say officers will be carrying out extra patrols around the town schools over the next few days, in a move to reassure parents:

"In the early hours of 13 May, officers arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of inciting a sexual act with a child. He remains in police custody at this time.

"Officers will continue to patrol the areas of the town schools over the next few days to offer reassurance and our SaYF Officers are working closely with the relevant school to reinforce safety messages to the students."