Police have praised the role played by a South East weekly in capturing a sex pest flasher.

The Gravesend Reporter interviewed a teenage girl shortly after 32-year-old Erdal Dogan had exposed himself to her on a train in May in a bid to raise awareness of the incident.

When a reporter at the Archant London title showed her a CCTV image of a police suspect, she knew straightaway that it was the man who had flashed her.

British Transport Police detectives had launched separate investigations into two incidents but linked the cases following publication of the Reporter’s story.

The girl contacted British Transport Police to say she had also been a victim of the flasher and weeks later she helped officers identify Dogan while he was waiting at Crayford railway station.

Editor Melody Foreman said: “Just for once there was a decent CCTV image and that helped as they’re normally really blurry.

“It’s good to know that the paper is playing a part in cracking down on crime. We care and share with Kent Police so this was a serious coup for relations.”

Investigating officer detective constable Andy Parkinson told the Reporter: “I would like to pay tribute to the victims who came forward and provided us with detailed statements and descriptions of Dogan because it was with their help that we were able to quickly piece the events together and identify him as the culprit.

“I would also like to thank the Gravesend Reporter for their help in appealing for information about the incidents.”

Dogan, from Crayford in Kent, was sentenced to ten weeks in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent exposure.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years and told to pay the victims £100 compensation.