Took my boys to our usual field this morning, just off a country lane, and noticed a man walking slowly down as I drove past, I thought he looked slightly suspicious as he didn't have a dog, but I thought maybe the dog had gone into the woods, so I continued to drive to the field and let the dogs out.  After a few minutes the man walked into the field and sat on the gate watching me, I was about 20 yards away..  The dogs at this time were merrily playing quite a distance away (but within sight).  I felt really uneasy so immediately phoned my OH and when this man saw that I was on the mobile he walked out of the field, I recalled the dogs and they actually came to me immediately (unusual).  The man appeared again and sat on the gate, the only way out was to walk through that gate and I was increasingly spooked by him.  I hoped the dogs didn't start to pull and try to get to him as they normally do, and I decided to confidently walk past him, he wouldn't move off the gate and so I had to walk within an inch of him, both dogs walked closely to me without lunging at this man, I think maybe they realised I was spooked, I got to the car the dogs jumped in and the man immediately turned round and was just staring!  I quickly got into the car and locked the doors and drove off.

He may or may not have been up to no good but I was quite scared and glad to be back home. 

Anyone else experienced anything like this and do you think I'm worring about nothing?

Phone up the non emergency police and report your suspicions. Its worth letting them know so they can inform officers who would keep an eye out when driving in that area.
Glad youre all ok

Very scary!  I agree, phone the police and report it.

Glad you're safe first and foremost!  I've had two instances over the years where I've felt extremely anxious when in a secluded spot that is a regular walk of mine and still is BTW :)  The first time one of my dogs instinctively charged to within about 10 yards of two men who were behaving strangely in an area only used by riders, fishermen and dog walkers - with not a pony, rod or dog between them!  They were skulking around watching me and exchanging something and made me feel very uneasy.  At that point I think they hadn't appreciated I was with three dogs, seeing only the smaller bitch and not two substantial males which were in undergrowth.  When Cos drew to a halt about 30 feet between them and me and stood hackles up with a low growl it gave me the confidence to veer off the track and find another way to pass them. 

The second occasion I was followed by a young man when walking the dogs at around 4-30am (couldn't sleep!)  At first I believed he was just heading home from a night on the tiles but despite me changing direction three times he stayed behind me.  No mobile phone then but ensured I got one asap thereafter!  Again, nothing came of it but it was frightening.

Both occasions were reported to local police and both times they were pleased I did as they had received complaints about women being stalked and one had been attacked just a few weeks earlier.

Better safe than sorry and even if in this case there was nothing sinister going on the police would rather know than not.

Hope you're feeling better soon!
Teri

Thanks for your replies, I have now reporterted the incident, and the police said it was good that I had and are going to 'keep an eye on the area'.  They advised not to go there alone again or at the same time, and if I do see him again, try to get a description of him without putting myself in any danger.  Unfortunately I didn't look at his face as I made a determined effort not to. 

Phew!!

Oh heck!  I wouldn't have liked that either.  May have been nothing but certainly worth reporting as others have suggested - might mean something significant to the police.  Sorry that your walk was spoiled by this at the very least insensitive man but well done to your boys for behaving! :)

Or take a picture of him from a distance using the "zoom in" feature on a mobile phone. Depends how good your camera is though. Well done for reporting it. A police presence will certainly help.

I'd always proffess better safe than sorry. :-D

Sometimes I feel sorry for men that we are so suspicious of them, but once you have gone through, why are they here, what are they doing?  And can find no answers then you should be on red alert.  Showing confidence even if really scared inside is always the best way to go.

Glad that you were ok, just be careful, if he is there again tomorrow go home and walk somewhere else.

An experience like this can be alarming and not made any better because you know that it could just be someone a sandwich short of a picnic, or someone who has pleasure in watching dogs at play but to shy to speak. There is also the fact that he may have been up to no good or have been looking for an opportunity to do actual harm. Think you were right to report the matter and should take the advice of the police.

Sometimes I feel sorry for men that we are so suspicious of them, but once you have gone through, why are they here, what are they doing?  And can find no answers then you should be on red alert.  Showing confidence even if really scared inside is always the best way to go

My dad frequently crosses the road when he's walking on his own so as not to worry the woman who may be on her own.  Bit of sad thing to have to do isn't it, because of an extremely small percentage of people.

I think that you did the right thing contacting the police!

I'm glad you're safe and that the dogs picked up on your need for them to behave. I met the sweetest man on a walk. It wasn't even a secluded place, just the local bridleway that everyone walks down. He was going the other way but saw I was on my own with my dog and said there was a guy in the bushes further along. He decided he needed to escort me past the area. I assured him that I was OK (it never occurred to him that I didn't know him either!). Living in the ghettos of LA has made me pretty tough but it is spooky when you get the wrong vibes off someone. Good for you for reporting it. It may just save the next person that's not escorted by dogs a problem. At the worst some innocent guy will have to explain to the police that they just sitting outside and watching the world go by.

> My dad frequently crosses the road when he's walking on his own so as not to worry the woman who may be on her own

What a gentleman :)

I was out walking one day in a fairly quiet enclosed area when I saw a man walking behind me. I changed route and he disappeared but then came out of a track in front of me I stopped dead and he held up his hands and said" It's all right lass I'm not following you. I was trying to get ahead so as not to scare you" Luckily I had my 2 Boxers at the time so I knew I was safe but it was a scary moment!!!

Oh yes, whilst at an indoor flyball competition at maidstone last winter i took my non-competiting dog for a little wander to do her business. the venue runs alongside a river and has a big multistorey car park on the other side. It wasgetting dark and walking down the river  path i saw three young men looking over the wall at me. I immediately felt unsafe, put the dog back on the lead and walked back where i came from. I decided to just let her off on the grassy bit next door to the car park as it was a bit more open. After 5 minutes i notice the 3 guys walking towards me, one was infront walking very purposefully towards me the other two with hoods up slightly behind. I quickly stuck ellie on lead and ran back to the car where there was people milling around. WHen i turned round the first guy had changed direction as if he had originally been heading for me and had now changed his mind.  There had been no one else around. It may have been completly harmless, but i just had a really uneasy feeling about the whole thing, and didn't go back there on my own at all that day. Being a country bumpkin i never even stopped to think what i was doing.

That is freaky and I would have been spooked as well.

I agree we shouldnt think the worst of people but you have to adopt that kind of thinking when your alone in the woods, espicially being a woman. Its better to be alert and wrong, then to be unaware and get caught out in a dangerous situation.

Ive have kinda had the same thing but I thought he was after my dog as he was constantly staring at her as we walked up to him and past him (he was sitting on a bench)  :( he then started following me round my local park and Mitz was getting itchy and kept looking back at him while she was playing with her ball, eventually she bit the bullet and starting walking over to him, she never walks over to people but about half way there before I could call her back he wuickly ran off! she must have had a look that scared the hell out of him as he soon walked away when she started walking over and I didnt see him again, Mitz came back I praised her and hugged her to the hilt and never see him again, I have a panic alarm I always carry tho, would bring people and dogs ! lol

How very scary, i would have been spooked too....i always try to be aware of my surroundings when out with the dogs, good on you for reporting it, better to be on the safe side :) glad your ok  :)

talk like this makes me glad i have a large breed dog, hes as daft as a brush and so friendly, but hopefully his size alone would deter any would be attacker or weirdo.

I think its a shame that we have to think like this nowadays - not that I blame you in the least, I would have been spooked too and probably would have reported it - but its sad that we have to think the worst of people (particularly men) in order to protect ourselves.  I often wonder if Britain is really so much worse than it was when I was a teenager or if we have been made to feel that way by the media? I would hate to live in some of the big cities especially in England but that is more to do with the perception I have of them from the media rather than any experience of them.
Hope you're over your fright now.

The media certainly play a big part in influencing people's opinions of places, especially those silly programmes they have on Channel 4, top 10 worst places to live etc...  I live in Nottingham & have done for 7 years now & have never seen a single bit of trouble or felt threatened etc etc, but yet our city seems to always be in the press in a negative way! It really annoys me!

It is sad that we don't feel safe all the time, even in areas we regularly visit but it is better to be safe than sorry! I think you definitely did the right thing & hope he won't be bothering you in the future.

I understand what you say about media coverage, but that really wasn't what spooked me at all.  I live in a small village and that doesn't necessarily keep criminals, yobs and strange people at bay!

I guess it's back to lead walks around the village unless OH is with me in future, which is a pity as the dogs love to run off lead !

I can give a little different kick to the story, though I admit to being uneasy in similar situations.  When my first Lab girl was about one year old she took to running up to strange people and barking at them.  I noticed she did not do this people I knew, men or women.  I decided I must greet everyone, "Hi there, great day out, isn't it?  Lovely weather." and a big smile.  Right away my dog stopped barking at people but I am sure some men went home and recounted this unusual encounter with a strange woman because most women would not do this.  I have read though, that showing confidence, head up, stand tall, walk briskly and most important, look them in the eye, is recommended procedure for women to follow in such situations.  With three strangely acting men though, nope, I'd be glad I kept up the running and get the heck out of there.  Only running if I had to.

How absolutely horrible for you - I too would have been completely petrified if I had been in your shoes. 
Living in the country side I rather naively never give a second thought to heading off into the woods and deserted fields on my own.  There are horrible people everywhere though and perhaps in future I should think a little more carefully about where I walk the dogs. 

I agree that it is sad that we have to worry like this but better to be vigilant and safe I think. 

Sorry bit of confusion I was replying to Dakkobear's comment about people's opinions of England being influenced by the media!

Glad youre ok Perry, sounds like some sort of weirdo! there are plenty around unfortunately.

We live in a tiny little village with one shop where everyone knows everyone (and everyones business) the average age of person here is around 55yrs, and the biggest crime is usually if someone drops a bit of litter!
Two years ago something horrid happened which made me think.

A lady was out walking her dog on the towpath at the top of the track where we live, at 8am on a sunny cold january morning , its a lovely place just farmland and hills etc...  as the woman was walking a man was coming towards her she obviously thought nothing and carried on, the little dog jumped up at him and he kicked the dog.
The woman then shouted at him for kicking her dog, what happened next is sickening! He picked up a rock and thrashed it onto her head, he pushed her backwards over the stone wall and down a little embankment he then pulled down her clothes and carried on beating her with the rock.
A friend of mine was walking his dog about 30mins later and his dog got scent of this poor woman who was lay there with her little dog by her side, he had bludgeoned her head.

The scene was taped off and the poor victim rushed to hospital where she died.  She was only 38yrs old!  And the thug that did this had been out of prison for ONE day!! He was on bail and it is thought he killed the walker incase she reported him for kicking the dog!
Anyway this evil male is now back in prison where he belongs but it really shook the community and makes you think wherever you are how lovely picturesque and "Safe" you may feel you should always be on your guard.

Just wanted to say hope that hasnt put anyone off walking this afternoon!! Sorry

Took me a while to go back up there on my own but I do now, im just extra vigilant thats all , if I see anyone who looks a bit dodgy I just turn round and go the other way.

That is a horrible, horrible story! Poor woman, her family must have been devastated.  What a senseless loss of life.  Thank god he's back behind bars & stays there a very very long time, horrible man!

I understand what you say about media coverage, but that really wasn't what spooked me at all.  I live in a small village and that doesn't necessarily keep criminals, yobs and strange people at bay!

I guess it's back to lead walks around the village unless OH is with me in future, which is a pity as the dogs love to run off lead

That is a shame, but I can understand it completely, I've lived in cities, towns, back of beyond and now live in a small village and funnily enough the only time I got spooked was when we lived in the back of beyond (nearest house 1/2mile away) when a strange man arrived at my door and asked me to drive him to the local mental hospital :-o . I declined, phoned him a taxi and locked the door!
Sometimes events like this just knock us out of our comfort zones and make us a little more aware of what could happen. Hopefully you'll soon get back to walking in the fields again.

I am aware of the dodgy people around & am alert when i  go out, however, i'd never let it stop me. My mum moans because i take the dog out at ridiculous times (3am) sometimes & go to places she deems not safe :-( but i refuse to let anyone or anything stop me. And i figure that nowadays if anything is going to  happen it is just as likely to happen in broad daylight as it will at nightime or in a busy area as much as a secluded one. If we all lived in the fear that something may happen we'd never go out at all.

That is very scary, and I pleased to hear that you are ok. I think that I would call the police too just incase someone else isnt as lucky as you were.

Have to say I am pleased you called th police, I am not what you call a "nervous" type of woman and fel very confident walking he dog or walking alone, I live in B'ham a very built up area but on occasion people "men/males" hav made me feel uneasy and I change direction or just don;t o that way not sure what it has ben on any occasion, as once the chap had a dog with him...but .....call it "sixth sense" but the hairs on the back of my neck sort of tingle or I get a feeling and changed the way I was going "self preservation instinct" call it what you may but I listen. 

I frequently walk in an area used by lots of joggers. I have noticed recently that men running up behind will shout "good morning, runner coming through" or similar I have to say I rather like it.

I am not easily spooked by things. Recently on an evening walk two men were walking towards me, they shouted out in a foreign launguage to two men, I had not been aware of, behind me! For the first time in my life (40+ abit) I felt very anxious. I put my shoulders back, chest out and strode on, looking them straight in the face. I did not understand the words but I did understand the body language.The dogs low growl showed he agreed with me. Strange feeling in the town I have grown up in and always felt safe in.

I always take notice of my dogs with strangers. I think they are rather good judges of character.

> I always take notice of my dogs with strangers. I think they are rather good judges of character.

Agree, mine have sussed out a couple of unsavoury characters :)