Robber 'held knife to baby's throat' after child's grandmother refused to hand over purse

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A robber held a knife to the throat of a 19-month-old baby as he stole a purse from the child’s grandmother, say police.

The mugger targeted the pair on a footpath through a wooded area in Normanby, North Yorkshire, on Friday evening.

He came out of the bushes as the woman, who is aged in her 40s, was taking her grandson for a walk in his pushchair between 5pm and 6pm.

When she refused to hand over her purse, he took out a knife and placed it to the boy’s throat.

She handed over her purse and the man ran off towards Normanby High Street. Her grandson was not injured.

The mugger is described as an Asian male with “very bad teeth” and a foreign accent.

He is is believed to be aged between 20 and 25, around 6ft tall, with a medium build and short black hair.

The suspect was wearing a black tracksuit with one red stripe down the side, a black leather belt with a pouch around his waist, and black and gold Nike trainers.

DC Lewis Mackfall, of Cleveland Police, said: “This was clearly a terrifying incident for the victim and very distressing as it involved a threat of violence against her grandchild.

“We’re appealing for anyone who might have seen a man matching this description to speak to us urgently by calling 101 with reference number 086712.”