Banbury police appeal for witnesses after mother and baby approached by stranger

He complimented her on her baby and he then put his hand on the pram. The woman pushed him away and went inside the Tesco store where she called police.

The man is described as Asian, aged between 25 and 30 years old, about 5ft 9ins tall, of slim build and was wearing a red woollen hat and a black coat.

Investigating officer Det Insp Steve Raffield, from Banbury Force CID, said: “This incident was concerning for the woman as she believed the man may have been trying to take the baby away. He did not touch the child during the incident.

“We are investigating the circumstances and I am keeping an open mind about what happened. This may have been a misunderstanding or could have been a deliberate attempt to take the baby.

“I would also like to appeal to the man involved to come forward so that we can establish the facts in relation to what happened.

“I recognise incidents of this nature can be concerning to people locally however additional patrols are taking place in the area and if anyone has any concerns or information they can approach and speak to a police officer.”

Anyone with any information about the incident should call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101.