A mother has revealed the terrifying moment a man tried to snatch her two-year-old son in broad daylight.
Shaken mum Tasha Litchfield spoke of her ordeal after the stranger ran towards her only child , Findley, with his arms wide open.
Before he sprinted towards the little younger, he was heard repeatedly saying, ‘Listen to mummy or I will take you’.
Tasha, 23, got a hold of little lad – who was just a few feet in front of her – before the man could grab a hold of him, reports Lincolnshire Live .
Cops are now examining CCTV to find the man after he ran off following the incident near the Ship Inn in Wharf Road, Retford, Lincolnshire.
Tasha said: “I was in a panic – I was holding my son so tightly,”.
“My body went into shock when I was holding Findley.
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“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.
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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.
