POLICE are hunting a sex pest who is terrorising Southampton women.

The same man is believed to have been behind two flashing incidents in the Shirley area this week, both of which left their victims distressed.

Police said the man stopped a woman as she walked her dog in Lakelands Drive, next to Freemantle Park, early in the morning and asked her the time.

As he did so, he dropped his jogging pants and indecently exposed himself.

A Shirley police spokeswoman said the man pulled his trousers down twice more before his shocked victim hurried out of the park.

The man was last seen disappearing behind flats in Paynes Road. Police said the incident happened between 8am and 8.10am on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old victim described the man as white, aged in his early 20s, 5ft 6in tall, with short dark brown hair, clean shaven, and wearing a blue top with baggy jogging bottoms which were light grey in colour.

Just minutes later, a man with a similar description indecently exposed himself to a woman in Cawte Road - only a couple of roads away.

A police spokeswoman said the man had been walking along behind his victim before he asked her the time.

When she turned around, he had his trousers half-way down his thighs and was indecently exposing himself.

No words were said throughout the incident, which happened between 8.15am and 8.20am.

The victim described the man as white, aged 18 to 20, 5ft 10in tall, slim, with short dark brown hair and a moustache.

He had a southern accent and wore a black woolly hat, a pale long-sleeved tracksuit top and dark tracksuit bottoms.

Police believe the incidents are linked due to their close proximity and similar descriptions given by the victims.

It is not known if there is any connection with a similar indecent exposure in Test Park near the M271 at Redbridge on Tuesday afternoon, when a woman set her dog on a man she saw committing a sexual act in front of her.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is urged to call Shirley crimedesk on 0845 045 4545 or the anonymous crime-stoppers line on 0800 555111.