A MOTHER fears someone tried to snatch her four-month-old baby while she was shopping in a supermarket.

Jemma Wood went with her youngest son Josh, her brother-in-law and his girlfriend to Tesco in Church Road, Hove, on Monday.

She placed him, safely strapped into his car seat, into a trolley, tucked a blanket around him and went into the store at around 12.30pm.

When she came back to her car, having said goodbye to her relatives, he fell out of his seat and she discovered he was unstrapped.

She is convinced that during her shopping trip someone had tried to take her baby while her back was turned but must have been disturbed in the process.

The 25-year-old, who lives with Josh, her husband Joe and four-year-old son James in Brighton, said: “I am 100 per cent certain I strapped him, I remember doing it. Initially I thought my brother-in-law might have unstrapped him so I phoned him to ask him why he did it.

“But when he told me he didn’t I was crying, I was so distressed when I thought what might have happened.

“Whoever it was must have unstrapped him and maybe tried to take him while I was in the shop. It would not have been easy because he was under a blanket.

“I since heard that a man unstrapped a baby from a seat in a café in Hove and possibly tried to take them recently.

“It’s really worrying, I want everyone to know so they can be alert to stop it happening again. I’ve reported it to Tesco head office and the store and hope they can look at CCTV.”

Sussex Police have appealed for witnesses to the incident to come forward and informed the area’s neighbourhood officers.

A police spokeswoman said: “The baby was not removed or harmed and the mother did not see or have any information about anyone doing this.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “We take the safety and security of our customers extremely seriously and will work constructively with any police enquiries into this incident.”

Witnesses should call police on 101 quoting 101@sussex.pnn. police.uk quoting 290 of 13/09.