Boy picked up by hair and hit

A woman shocked onlookers by picking a toddler off the ground by his hair and slapping him in the face outside a leisure centre. Police today launched an appeal to find the woman.The assault happened near to the main doors of the Halo leisure centre, Leominster, at about 4.20pm last Wednesday, it was reported.

The woman was seen to take hold of the boy, aged about three, by the hair, lifting him from the ground and then reportedly slapping him in the face. The child was left very distressed by the incident.

A member of the public confronted the woman - believed to be the child's mother or guardian - and the incident was then reported to the police.

Constable Richard Poyner, from Leominster Police, said: "The child's distress gave enough concern for a member of the public to confront the woman and ask what was going on, before reporting it to the police.

"We are keen to identify the woman and the child so we can determine what happened and whether there are any concerns over the child's welfare.

"This is clearly an unusual incident."

The woman was described as white and aged about 20 years old.

She had short brown hair with blonde highlights and wore a white top with black horizontal strips and dark trousers. She was pushing a grey hooded pushchair.

Anyone with information should contact Leominster Police Station on 08457 444888 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.