Authorities are investigating allegations that two individuals abducted a toddler from a shopping cart at a Lidl store. The child’s mother characterised the occurrence as a “terrifying” experience.
Police said they have had allegations of an attempted kidnapping at a branch of Lidl in Exeter. The mother reports that a guy and woman removed her baby son from her cart while she was distracted.
She alleges that when she approached them they said he was their child. She stated that she successfully retrieved her son with the assistance of an intervening stranger.
The incident has been disseminated on social media through a post that has gained extensive circulation in local Facebook groups. A mother, who requested anonymity, stated in her post: “I just visited there with my young son, and a man and woman, estimated to be in their late 30s to early 40s, attempted to abduct him while he was seated in the tram.”
“The man was about 6ft with mousey brown hair and the woman about 5ft 5 with blonde hair. Both wearing black coats/jackets and were foreign.
“Absolute worst experience and I would hate for them to actually get away with someone else’s child. Also thank you to the man who helped me during the whole thing, I never got your name but God knows what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in to help.”
She described the incident as “absolutely terrifying” as she claimed the two people tried to wheel her son away. While the child is physically unharmed, the mum says he was “a bit clingy” when they returned home.
Devon & Cornwall Police say they are carrying out an investigation. It’s understood that no arrests have yet been made as officers continue to establish the circumstances of the incident.
A spokesperson for Devon & Cornwall Police said: “Police enquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.