A mum has shared the terror she experienced when a complete stranger grabbed her daughter in a busy shopping centre.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, was with her kids when a man walked towards them and grabbed her seven-year-old daughter by the face in Newtownards, Co Down, Northern Ireland.
She told Belfast Live how she screamed at him before employees came to her aid. "On Wednesday afternoon, I collected the kids from school and took them shopping," she said.
"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."
The man was asked to leave the shop by staff and security who followed him. The police were also called and they came to the store to speak to the mother.
She added: "The staff themselves phoned 101 to report it for me because I was obviously in a state.
"One of the girls who worked there had taken me and both my kids out the back to a more secure area so we could feel more relaxed and the police came to speak to me there.
"It all happened so quick, if I hadn't had my eyes on here, he could have just taken her.
"She was standing right beside me, it was such a shock - you hear about it, you read about it, but you never think it's going to happen to you, it can happen so quick.
"I do know that he has approached other kids before in the shopping centre and has touched them, so I don't know whether he likes younger kids or something.
"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?"
Police in Northern Ireland confirmed they had received a report about the incident.
A spokesperson said: "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. Enquiries are continuing."
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