A man who police believed tried to abduct a two-year-old girl at Gatwick Airport was in reality trying to help her.

Little Claudia Jones ran away from her mother and her partner as they got off the bus at the South Terminal. The family were heading for a holiday in Lanzarote.

The toddler ran up an escalator and was helped up by a man who police and her parents thought was trying to kidnap her.

As a result of publicity, witnesses came forward and gave police the true story.

Claudia's mother Nicole Jones, 27, and her partner Eddie Edmonds, 28, scoured the terminal for Claudia before spotting her on an escalator with a large man.

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

Detective Sergeant Mike Jones, of Gatwick CID, said: "Two of the witnesses saw the child running into the terminal and up the escalator. She fell over and a man picked her up.

"Without these witnesses we would never have found this out. We did say at the time that the man who was clutching her arm may have been innocent."

He said Claudia's family were relieved with the news.