Man walking around outside nursery each morning

[SMLSML]

Not sure if I'm over thinking... For the last 3 months or so, every morning without fail when I drop my daughter at nursery there is a man who is walking past it, then when I come out he's doing a loop the other way back past again. The nursery is on a business park so he could just be walking to work or getting his steps in but I do find it that he seems to do constant loops at exactly the same time every morning. I've stayed and watched from the car this morning and this is his fourth loop around the nursery building again... He doesn't appear to have a uniform or lanyard of any of the businesses on the estate... Am I thinking too badly given everything in the news at the moment 🙃 would you mention it to the nursery?

go ask him?

One of my neighbours walks around the same route several a day ..he had a stroke..the first time he walked around slowly with a frame, then over time it was two sticks, then one then he has no sticks but is building up how many times he can do it and he looks fast now. It was advised by the physio as he couldn't afford the gym. Maybe the guy is doing similar. Smile at him and talk to him.

It serves everyone to be on the alert for things like this. I’d certainly mention it to the nursery manager, and if I felt brave enough I’d approach him and say that ‘looping’ a nursery is not a good way to get steps in, and he should find somewhere else to stretch his legs if he doesn’t want to attract unwanted attention.

I would let the police know on the non emergency line or via online report.

Which specific news issue is making you feel wary of this man's walk?

This happened years ago when I was dropping off my DC at nursery. Old man it was at the time. I wondered what he was all about. Then one day he just stopped. There's CCTV at the entrance so I didn't feel too worried.

Hopefully just an innocent explanation OP. But you're right to be questioning your surroundings.

I’d mention it to the nursery manager. It might be innocent, but better safe than sorry. If it’s innocent then he has nothing to worry about. He won’t get into any trouble and he’d understand that it might raise concern with recent news reports around abuse.

"every morning without fail", erring on the side of caution, wrt children, surely, is never a bad thing @SMLSML

How secure is access to the nursery? It would be worth a mention to them.

Given that it is a nursery and the children will never be unaccompanied this seems nothing to worry about.

What do you think he’s trying to do?
If he’s out at the exact same time every day it’s likely he has something to do surely?

after my dad had his stroke he was advised by his physio to do daily walking. Doing loops is fairly standard.

feel free to talk to him or report to police but this is quite a likely reason

I can see no concerns about seeing a man walking in loops.

Is he stopping, slowing down or looking obviously at the dc going to nursery?
If not then he’s probably just getting on with his day.
I can’t imagine being reported for walking around a nursery building unless I was stood staring in.

I think a lot of my response here would be in the things its hard for you to convey. Is he focused on his walk as he passes or on the kids? Is he giving you a creepy feeling when you pass him or are you just surprised by the frequency? There are 5 or 6 nurseries I can think of on the way to walking my children to school, around here (outer London) if I did have some kind of a walking route around a block for rehabilitation purposes I'm sure they'd be at least one I was passing within it.

Surely, if he was up to no good, he wouldn't be making himself so obvious? I suspect he likely getting steps in and killing time until work starts.

If it was a woman doing this would you have the same concerns?
He’s probably getting his steps in before work.

Every morning for 3 months?

Well if he is planning something untoward, he's playing a bloody long game 😳

I think if it’s that regular and that obvious, then it’s unlikely to be anythign of concern. More likely he’s killing time before work starts or something equally mundane. Have you walked past and tried saying hello? How does he respond? But if you have a concern then share it with the nursery staff.

This. Also what could he possibly be planning?! Snatching a toddler out of the arms of it's mum? Nursery kids aren't ever going to be unattended. Presumably the nursery play / outdoor area has secure fencing?

Am I thinking too badly given everything in the news at the moment

Yes. That man was a nursery worker and had direct access to the children as he was responsible for looking after them.

This is just some poor bloke going for a daily walk.

He doesn't appear to have a uniform or lanyard of any of the businesses on the estate

What every single company on the business park has a uniform?!?!

I've worked on a few business parks and never worn a uniform or a lanyard in my life.

I often go for a walk (same route) at the same time in the morning.

I pass a man every morning on the school run, same time. I wondered why he was passing the school at the same time every day, no child/dog.
I had to drop my dc early one day and there he was dropping his dc off at breakfaat club.
Our schools/nurseries are pretty secure these days and they should be accompanied upon entering/exiting..

Ask the staff, they might reassure you that he has been doing it a long time without any problems. They’ll be aware of his presence in the area.

Let the police know what exactly?!?!

That a completely innocent man is going for a walk every morning (which just happens to pass a nursery and assuming he does work / live nearby, he can't really avoid) and has done absolutely nothing worrying whatsoever?!

Jesus fucking Christ.

A lot of people have the same route for a walk
my wife walks a loop , I’ve a set running route , my friend has a set route for dog walking
wouldn’t raise any alarm bells from me