Man, 37, arrested after ‘trying to pick up and run away with 3-year-old girl before her mum stopped him’

A MAN has been arrested over the alleged attempted abduction of a three-year-old girl.

The child was with an older relative when a man allegedly tried to pick her up outside a house and run away at around 5.15pm on Thursday.

However, he was stopped by the child's mother, police said.

The girl was not injured during the "isolated incident" in Leicester Street, Wolverhampton.

The man was thought to have left in the direction of Harrow Street.

Yesterday, West Midlands Police launched an appeal and released a photo of a man.

Now cops have detained a 37-year-old in the city.

He was arrested on suspicion of attempting to kidnap the young girl and is in custody for questioning.

Det Insp Nicola Pestel, at Wolverhampton CID, said: "We've had officers from across our local teams working hard on this investigation.

"We've been following a number of lines of enquiry and this arrest is a significant step forward.

"We fully understand the concerns this will have caused but we do believe it is an isolated incident."

Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with West Midlands Police via 101, or Live Chat, quoting log 3766 of January 9.