Police say they have received two reports of schoolchildren being followed by a van driver this week.

The first incident happened in Quickley Lane, Chorleywood, just after 8am on Monday and the next day, during the afternoon, a similar incident happened in The Drive, Rickmansworth.

On both occasions, a man driving a white van reportedly followed schoolchildren - police are currently investigating to see whether both incidents are linked.

The van driver in Quickley Lane has been described as East Asian in appearance, around 40-years-old, and approximately 5ft 8in tall.

He was wearing a white shirt, baggy navy trousers and black trainers.

Despite reports the van driver followed the children, police say the driver did not try and talk to them or touch them.

Children made their school aware of what happened and the schools then reported the incidents to the police.

In light of the reports, police have stepped up patrols in the area.

A police spokesperson said: "We fully understand this news will cause concern within the community and in response, we are increasing our high-visibility patrols in the area particularly around school drop-off and pick-up times.

"We are carrying out a number of enquiries and are speaking to the children involved in both incidents in order to establish the exact circumstances and the man/men's intentions. We are currently investigating whether both incidents are linked.

"The children did exactly the right thing by telling an adult they trust, who then in turn informed us.

"We encourage parents and carers to speak to their children about personal safety and have a discussion about what to do if they believe they are being followed."