Children photographed on the way to school in Blackburn

A school principal in Melbourne’s east says reports of people taking photos of local children on their way to school are “troubling”, with multiple primary schools now posting “no photography” signs on their fences.

Parents are worried children are having their photo taken by strangers on their way to and from school.

Parents are concerned their young children are being photographed by strangers as they walk to and from school.

A Forest Hill couple is calling for something to be done to stop the “unsettling” behaviour after their 11-year-old daughter was photographed by a man she did not know earlier this month.

Paul and Gudrun Muling’s daughter was walking to her Blackburn school with five other primary school students on Friday, February 15 when a man of Asian appearance began taking photos of them at close range.

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Alarmed by the incident, two of the girls took photos of the man on their iPads, before reporting the incident to the school, who contacted the police and the children’s parents.

Mr Muling said after talking to other parents he knew of several other instances at the school where students said they had been photographed by people of Asian appearance as they walked to and from school.

Blackburn Lake Primary School has a ‘no cameras’ sign on its fence.

He said he was also aware of several similar incidents occurring involving students attending primary schools in Box Hill.

“It’s quite unsettling to parents and children themselves,” he said.

Multiple primary schools across Whitehorse have ‘no photography signs’ posted outside their schoolgrounds.

Mr Muling said he did not necessarily believe the photos were being taken for sinister reasons, but it was nonetheless troubling.

A man took photos of a group of schoolkids near their Blackburn school earlier this month.

“We feel it could be a lack of cultural understanding,” he said.

“We would hope there could be some sort of education program put in place.”

“We encourage the kids to walk to school and exercise and it would be awful if that has to change.”

Whitehorse Council said it had not previously heard of the issue, and believed it would be a police matter.

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Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Butler said the behaviour was not illegal.

“It is not an offence for members of the community to take photographs in a public place.

If a person is, without reason, taking photographs within a school, it is advisable to notify the school in the first instance.

However, anyone who feels concerned about a certain type of behaviour, particularly if it is harassing or suspicious in nature, is urged to phone 000.”