THE buggy snatchers have relented.

Lee-Anna Futcher, 28, is getting her baby’s pram back for free after her story in the Daily Echo prompted a council U-turn.

The buggy was impounded for “health and safety reasons” by Bournemouth council when she could not carry it upstairs and left it in the hall of her three-storey block of flats.

The council yesterday returned the pram and pledged to do the same with 11 more confiscated from other mums, none of whom had paid the £50 admin fee demanded.

Lee-Anna, from Bear Cross, a mum of three – including 11-day-old Mason – said: “It’s good they listened to the problems of mothers with babies. It was disgusting they expected me to just haul the baby upstairs in the pram. I was waiting for my partner to come back.

“I understand the concern for health and safety over fire. But my buggy was not blocking anyone in.”

The council said it would now only remove buggies from the communal areas of flats as a “last resort” when every attempt to get the owner or a neighbour to do so had failed.

An 83-year-old Ferndown man phoned the Echo offering to pay the £50 fee with his pension. And Ray Barber, 57, owner of New Milton based Iowa Landscapes, also offered to pay.

He said: “It doesn’t take anyone with brains to work out if you have a baby and a buggy, you are not going to leave the baby downstairs.”

Four-months-pregnant Samantha Rabbetts, 22, also from Bear Cross, is getting two confiscated buggies back. She has sometimes had to carry three-year-old daughter Nicole.

She said: “It’s been a nightmare. I’m suffering with sciatica during my pregnancy so it’s hard for me to carry anything. I’d left the buggies tucked out of the way in the hall so my ex-partner could fix them.”

Keeping exits clear is a safety priority for the council, who point to the Camber-well tower block fire which killed six people in July.

Gary Josey, director of housing services, said: “We understand the inconvenience this has caused Miss Futcher and on this occasion we have returned the pushchair.

“Housing officers have repeatedly asked all residents to keep the fire escape routes clear. Officers have also sent letters to all residents. Notices have also been posted in every single flat block.”