A mother from Eastbourne has told how she rescued her two-year-old daughter from an abductor at Gatwick Airport.

Frantic Nicole Jones, 27, lost Claudia as the family left a shuttle bus on their way to check-in.

She and partner Eddie Edmonds, 28, scoured the South Terminal for the little girl before spotting her on an escalator.

The child, dressed in a peach tracksuit, was being gripped by a large man.

Ms Jones ran after them and scooped up her daughter when the man released her and vanished into the crowd.

She said: "I cannot describe the sinking feeling or the panic when I realised Claudia had been taken.

"It is every mother's nightmare. It was the worst moment of my life. I was very lucky and it has left me totally paranoid.

"It is too terrifying to think what could have happened if I had not found Claudia."

Ms Jones, Mr Edmonds and both their mothers were going on holiday to Lanzarote and transferring to the terminal from a car park when they noticed Claudia was gone.

Ms Jones said: "Claudia was stood with her grandmother while we got all the suitcases off. My mother only turned her back for a couple of seconds to help unload and the first I knew of it was when she shouted, 'Where's the baby'?"

Ms Jones finally spotted Claudia on the escalator. She said: "I flew up the escalator, which was packed, barging everyone out of the way. I got to the top and could see the man holding Claudia aggressively by the forearm as he led her away.

"I glared at him with a look that could kill. But he just calmly let go of her arm, gave me a blank look and walked off without saying anything. I'll never forget the cool look in his eyes.

"I now wish I had confronted him but he was huge and I was not thinking straight because I was terrified.

"I just scooped Claudia up in my arms and ran down the 'up' escalator to get her away from him. She started crying but I was just so relieved to have her back that it was all that mattered.

"Claudia's hand is being held all the time and I go crazy if anyone lets go. She is spending most of her time in her buggy just to be safe.

"She was probably only missing for a minute but it seemed like a lifetime. If it had been any longer I may never have seen her again."

Ms Jones, an accountant, spoke to The Sun newspaper in the hope of finding more witnesses and to warn other parents.

The attacker was black, in his mid-30s and wore light blue jeans and a dull coloured top.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We are treating this attempted abduction very seriously."

Anyone with information should call Gatwick CID on 0845 6070999.