A mum has opened up about a shocking incident earlier this week when a stranger grabbed her young daughter by the face in a busy Co Down shopping centre.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, spoke to Belfast Live about the bizarre incident at a shop in the Newtownards area.
According to the mum, she was out shopping with her kids in the afternoon after picking them up from school when a man grabbed her seven-year-old daughter by the face.
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She told Belfast Live: "Everything was fine and I was queueing up so I had tucked the trolley into the left hand side, just to leave a bit of room for people.
"But the next thing, this man walked towards us and he just grabbed my daughter by the face, by the chin, with a slight pull to it.
"I just reacted like 'What?! Don't touch my child!'
"He turned round with this big smile on his face and was shaking his hand like it was OK, walking towards me.
"I'm screaming at him to not touch my child and to stay away from me and at that point, some of the shop employees came to my aid."
Store staff called shopping centre security and the police, while others in the shop followed the man.
The woman continued: "I don't know what his motive was for doing it, like why would you grab a seven-year-old child that you don't know by the face?"
The PSNI has confirmed it received a report in relation to the incident.
"Police are investigating an incident during which a man touched a child on the face at the Circular Road area of Newtownards on Tuesday 27th June," a spokesperson said.
"Enquiries are continuing."
