Man 'walked off with baby in pushchair in Primark' (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Man 'walked off with baby in pushchair in Primark'
10:00am Saturday 16th March 2013 in News
A MAN walked off with a baby in a pram in a Bournemouth store and then followed the mother around after she intervened.
The incident happened at Primark in Commercial Road before Christmas but was only reported to police on Thursday - after reports of another mother becoming suspicious of a man who approached her child in the Poole branch of Primark.
The 29-year-old local mum in the Bournemouth store said she believed the man was already following her around before he took the pram between December 17-19 last year.
After she stopped him, he continued to follow her until she took the lift to another level.
PC Jo Morgan said: “I am appealing for any witnesses to this incident and anyone with information about the man responsible to contact police.
“I would also like to hear from anyone who may have experienced a similar incident.”
The offender is described as white, in his late 40s to early 50s, more than 6ft tall and of average build, with dark medium length hair. He was wearing a trench coat.
Contact Dorset Police with information on 101 quoting incident number 14:243, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Comments(25)
Rikaroony
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10:23am Sat 16 Mar 13
mgibbs
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10:27am Sat 16 Mar 13
SnakeDoc
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10:35am Sat 16 Mar 13
skydriver
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10:45am Sat 16 Mar 13
spooki
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12:53pm Sat 16 Mar 13
skydriver wrote:Hmm not very good advertising though is it? "Come to Primark and have your child abducted!"
Emm I call this free advertising for Primark.
Also, I agree, three months before she reports it? That is attempted abduction and I know from experience having someone follow you around is very disturbing. She should have told someone straight away if this did actually happen.
Azphreal
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3:23pm Sat 16 Mar 13
skydriver
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4:07pm Sat 16 Mar 13
spooki wrote:Agree, that said may well have been on a different plant, if you know what I mean, after all we are talking Boscombe here!,!!!
skydriver wrote:Hmm not very good advertising though is it? "Come to Primark and have your child abducted!"
Emm I call this free advertising for Primark.
Also, I agree, three months before she reports it? That is attempted abduction and I know from experience having someone follow you around is very disturbing. She should have told someone straight away if this did actually happen.
manyogie
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5:29pm Sat 16 Mar 13
If this is another bogus claim to get 5 minutes of fame, then the photos of those involved should be posted so we can all 'congratulate her.
ashleycross
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6:23pm Sat 16 Mar 13
BIGTONE
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8:31pm Sat 16 Mar 13
grazzer
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8:38pm Sat 16 Mar 13
Secondly the mother claimed that the man took the pram but doesn't say whether the baby was still in it or not..
Was he still wheeling the pram when he followed her round the shop if so it must have looked a trifle odd, l hope he gave the pram back before jumping in the lift and disappearing. His DNA will obviously be on the pram handle so if he has any previous they should soon have him bang to rights
Bournemouth2014
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11:25pm Sat 16 Mar 13
ashleycross
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9:14am Sun 17 Mar 13
manyogie
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11:11am Sun 17 Mar 13
ashleycross wrote:what!!!!!!!!
Reporting anything to the police when you have a baby is really risky as you can get an order to go to court to give evidence and you can be locked up for contempt of court if you bring your baby with you. If you are breastfeeding you need to chose between your baby's welfare and going to court, a dreadful situation to be in. When I saw a burglary in my road I begged the police not to involve me even though I had reported it because my health would be at risk if I had to bottle feed to give evidence as we have both breast cancer and osteoporosis in the family.
nosuchluck54
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11:21am Sun 17 Mar 13
manyogie wrote:Worrying isnt it!
ashleycross wrote:what!!!!!!!!
Reporting anything to the police when you have a baby is really risky as you can get an order to go to court to give evidence and you can be locked up for contempt of court if you bring your baby with you. If you are breastfeeding you need to chose between your baby's welfare and going to court, a dreadful situation to be in. When I saw a burglary in my road I begged the police not to involve me even though I had reported it because my health would be at risk if I had to bottle feed to give evidence as we have both breast cancer and osteoporosis in the family.
grazzer
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11:40am Sun 17 Mar 13
ashleycross
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12:03am Mon 18 Mar 13
ashleycross
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12:10am Mon 18 Mar 13
mgibbs wrote:Babies don't have an off switch you know for when you have socially responsible stuff to do like go to a police station and report a crime.
I'm sorry if I sound a little sceptical here, but something does not seem right with this. If it was my child involved in this alleged incident, there is absolutely no way I would have let the guy just walk away, and I certainly would not have waited 3 months before reporting it. If the incident really did take place, then the lady involved was highly irresponsible by not reporting it immediately. Any person who would try to abduct a child is clearly a threat to other children, and he should have been reported, and if appropriate, detained, and handed over to the police.
ashleycross
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12:13am Mon 18 Mar 13
Bournemouth2014 wrote:A clear split here between posters who have had responsibility for a baby and know how difficult reporting crime like this would be and those who haven't.
This isnt true. No parent would wait 3 months if someone tried to take thier baby or even walked off with the pram.
rozmister
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2:03am Mon 18 Mar 13
ashleycross wrote:It's lovely that you assume that if people don't agree with you it must be because they have no experience. Actually I think it's because people don't hold the same views and values as you and so see things differently but hey.
Bournemouth2014 wrote:A clear split here between posters who have had responsibility for a baby and know how difficult reporting crime like this would be and those who haven't.
This isnt true. No parent would wait 3 months if someone tried to take thier baby or even walked off with the pram.
As for the breastfeeding/court thing. If someone tries to steal your child you better go speak to the police because otherwise when they successfully snatch someone else's child it'll be your fault. And most people who snatch kids don't take them because they want someone to sing nursery rhymes too if you know what I mean. Yes it may be hard bottle feeding your child but for all you know that person could be a paedophile or potential child murderer that you're releasing off into the community because you can't bear for your child to be bottlefed. I know people who have children including breastfed babies who've been to court to testify against criminals because they feel the value of making society a safer place for their child to grow up in outweighs the cost to their child of bottlefeeding them for a day or two (although, where possible, you could express).
To you the cost of making society a safer place to your child is not as important as breastfeeding them and that's fine, it's your choice and personal values. But don't ram it down people's throats trying to force your opinions on them and dismissing anyone who doesn't agree with you as not being relevant to the discussion because you believe, with no evidence, that they don't have responsibility of a baby and don't appreciate how 'difficult' reporting a crime is. To plenty of people that difficulty is worth it for the greater good. Just not to you.
justsayithowitis
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7:28am Mon 18 Mar 13
ashleycross wrote:On the story about Primark in Poole you say this should be reported. On this one you say it shouldn't yet this one seems to be a more serious attempt to abduct a child. This is not a clear split between those who have children and those who don't. I have children and I would have reported this. I am sure other people who have commented have children as well. You appear to be the only one who would see someone abduct a child and not report it. Quite worrying
Bournemouth2014 wrote:A clear split here between posters who have had responsibility for a baby and know how difficult reporting crime like this would be and those who haven't.
This isnt true. No parent would wait 3 months if someone tried to take thier baby or even walked off with the pram.
retry69
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7:46am Mon 18 Mar 13
justsayithowitis wrote:It is quite worrying, i think most parents and grandparents would report anything that appeared untoward, although there is a fine line perhaps between being over cautious and over reacting i feel one would side with the ones inner feelings
ashleycross wrote:On the story about Primark in Poole you say this should be reported. On this one you say it shouldn't yet this one seems to be a more serious attempt to abduct a child. This is not a clear split between those who have children and those who don't. I have children and I would have reported this. I am sure other people who have commented have children as well. You appear to be the only one who would see someone abduct a child and not report it. Quite worrying
Bournemouth2014 wrote:A clear split here between posters who have had responsibility for a baby and know how difficult reporting crime like this would be and those who haven't.
This isnt true. No parent would wait 3 months if someone tried to take thier baby or even walked off with the pram.
Dorset Logic
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9:05am Mon 18 Mar 13
In fact they could give a flying.....
speedy231278
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9:58am Mon 18 Mar 13
Time_Traveller says...
10:13am Sat 16 Mar 13
This incident happened 3 months ago and they only reporting it now?!!
Personally, if someone had taken my child, whether in their buggy or not, he wouldn't have been able to walk away just like that!