Woman held after snatching baby

A woman has attempted to snatch a new-born boy from the hospital crib where he was sleeping next to his mother.

The would-be kidnapper, a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, walked into the maternity unit of Guy's Hospital in Southwark at 9.10 last night, grabbed the baby from his cot in full view of the horrified mother and attempted to escape.

But security guards had noticed the woman wandering around the ward for a short time before then and had become suspicious.

The woman took the baby from a private room where his mother was recovering after giving birth. Security guards managed to block the woman's escape, get the child safely from her and call the police.

Police arrived in minutes and arrested the woman, who is believed to be British and to live in London.

She is now being questioned at a south London police station while officers attempt to establish whether she is mentally ill or had a more sinister motive for taking the child.

Last night police were at the hospital recovering CCTV footage and interviewing staff and patients to find out more about the woman's movements before she snatched the baby.

A spokesman for the hospital said: "Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust can confirm that there was an incident.

"Staff called the police and are cooperating with inquiries. Security systems are in place on the ward and the trust will be carrying out a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident."

A police spokesman said: "Shortly after 9pm a woman entered the maternity unit on the 13th floor of Guy's hospital and attempted to abduct a new-born baby boy.

"She picked him up from his cot but staff became suspicious. They confronted the woman and managed to hold her while police were called. A woman is now being held on suspicion of attempted abduction.

"The baby and his mother have been reunited."

The case has echoes of other baby abductions in recent years. Karli Hawthorne was three hours old when she was snatched from Basildon hospital in 1997. She was found 14 hours later. Denise Giddings, 33, was put on probation for three years after admitting abduction and promising to seek psychiatric help.

Abbie Humphries was taken from Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, hours after her birth in 1994. She was found 15 days later. Julie Kelley, 23, was put on probation for three years and treated for a personality disorder.

Charlie Waylen was taken in 1994 from the Royal United Hospital, Bath, when he was only two hours old. He was discovered three hours later. Diane Holmes, 28, was given a twomonth probationary sentence and asked to seek counselling. And Alexandra Griffiths was two days old when she was snatched from St Thomas' hospital in 1990. She was found 16 days later in the Cotswolds. Janet Griffiths, 33, was sent to a secure mental hospital for seven months. She has since died.