CCTV: Muggers Knock Baby Onto Pavement

CCTV has captured the moment a baby was knocked to the ground in his pram as muggers stole his grandmother's handbag.

The footage, released as part of a police appeal, shows the three-month-old infant with his mother and grandparent returning from a shopping trip in Bolton town centre.

His 33-year-old mother can be seen carrying a number of shopping bags, while the baby's grandmother, 56, is pushing his pram with both women's handbags hung over her shoulders.

Two men suddenly run up behind them, before the older woman receives a blow to her head, causing the pram to topple onto its side.

The men then grab the handbags from the woman, before the younger woman manages to wrestle one of the bags back.

The younger woman ran after the robbers as they made their escape, but collapsed almost immediately through exhaustion from the struggle.

Police said the baby was strapped in to the pram and was not injured during the fall and that the older woman was not seriously hurt, but suffered pain from being hit on the head.

Both men were white and described as around 6ft 2in tall, of thin build and in their late teens to early 20s.

They covered their faces with hooded tops, one grey and the other black.

Detective Inspector Stuart Wilkinson, from Bolton's Robbery Unit, said: "These were the actions of two desperate individuals who had no regard whatsoever for the wellbeing of these two women or the young baby they were with.

"As you can see from the CCTV, it is lucky that the baby was strapped into the pram and wasn't injured during this robbery."

The robbery happened at around noon on October 15, near Bobby Heywood's park, as the two women walked down a footpath leading to Sandyhills.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at Bolton on 0161 856 5599 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers , anonymously, on 0800 555 111 .