Woman held over 'attempt to take baby'

A woman tried to abduct a newborn baby from a hospital labour ward in front of the infant's mother, police said yesterday. The baby boy, believed to be one or two days old, was picked up by the woman who refused to return him to his cot when challenged by the mother and staff from Guy's Hospital in central London on Sunday night.

The nurses reacted quickly and took the baby from the woman and called security guards who detained her and alerted police.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "The baby was not harmed and is with his mother. The woman entered a room on the labour ward and picked up the baby from its cot.

"Immediately staff and the mother became concerned and asked her to put the baby down. She refused and the baby was taken from her and security guards called."

The woman believed to be in her late twenties or early thirties was arrested on suspicion of attempted abduction. She is being held at a south London police station.

A spokesman for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust said: "Security systems are in place on the ward and the trust will be making a full investigation.

"We have been making sure security that should be in place is in place. People on duty after the incident went around making sure security was in place and told security guards to be aware of who was coming in and going out of the building.

"We are not sure exactly what happened. That's why we are having a full investigation."