A mum has described the horrific moment a man attempted to abduct her two-year-old son in broad daylight.
Tasha Litchfield was near The Ship Inn on Wharf Road, Retford when a man ran towards her son, Findley, with his arms wide open.
The mum-of-one managed to grab her son before the man got to them, but was left shaken by the incident.
He was also heard repeating ‘listen to mummy or I will take you’ over and over again before he sprinted towards the boy.
“I was in a panic – I was holding my son so tightly,” Tasha, 23, told Lincolnshire Live.
“My body went into shock when I was holding Findley.
“After the initial shock I just broke down and cried – I just cannot get the man’s voice out of my head.
“I will be looking over my shoulder for a very long time.”
Tasha had just taken Findley for a milkshake and was was stood outside at the Ship Inn where she works when the incident happened at around 4.50pm on Tuesday, May 8.
Tasha has described him as light tanned man, between 5ft 8in and 6ft tall.
He is said to have been wearing an off white hoody, had a slender/medium build and in his late 20s or early 30s.
Tasha has issued a warning to other parents to remain vigilant.
She said: “My message to other parents would be, don’t be naïve.
“Do not think it can’t happen to you or your child.
“If it had been different, Findley would not be here – and that is heartbreaking.”
Nottinghamshire Police say they are investigating and their enquiries are ongoing.
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Quinn said: "We'd like to reassure the local community that we are treating this report seriously and we are pursuing various lines of enquiry, including checking CCTV footage.
"We believe this is an isolated incident and we have had no reports of a similar nature in the area since."
Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 705 of 7 May 2019, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
