Love Island star Liberty Poole has urged her fans to be extra careful this festive season after she was followed by a man in a car on Monday night.
The 23-year-old was left “shaken up” by the incident, which happened while she was out shopping, and warned her followers to be extra vigilant.
Speaking on her Instagram Stories, Poole shared: “There was this guy and as soon as he seen me, you know when your gut instinct is telling you something is up, and he basically looked me up and down and then all of a sudden was on his phone.
“Then he was following me and looking at me in the aisles and I said to the guy inside, ‘look I feel off about this guy in there just to let you know’.
“When I was doing my shopping, he went outside and waited in his car and then I said to the security guard ‘please can you walk me to my car’.
“By the time he saw me ask the security guard, basically he left so I thought it was safe, so I walked up to my car, and he followed me to my car.”
The reality star continued: “I had shopping bags and a parcel in my hand so I wouldn’t be able to defend myself and he said, ‘excuse me’ and I went, ‘No, f*** off’ so loudly that I think it scared him and he drove off.
“I’m not one to swear but I was just shaking but just to make people aware.
“I’m a young woman on my own, I felt vulnerable like please do not follow girls on their own, they don’t want the attention.
“At the end of the day you’re going to scare them and also just making girls aware if you have a gut instinct or you think something is off, please just be safe.”
Getting emotional, the ITV2 star took to social media once she was home to thank her fans for making sure she was ok.
She added: “Thank you for all the messages, I’m home safe. I’m just a bit shaken up and feel like I’ve escaped something really bad.
“My gut instinct was screaming at me that something was wrong and then for him to follow me back to my car which wasn’t near the shop.
“It’s just so scary to think what could have happened but luckily I’m safe.”
Poole’s frightening encounter comes after she was held at knifepoint during a trip to Los Angeles in April.
The star and fellow Love Islander Kaz Kamwi were left terrified when a 40-year-old woman targeted them on their way to a party.
According to The Sun, two men jumped to their defence and apprehended the attacker while passers-by called the police.