Police are investigating after a man is reported to have struck a child across the face at a busy shopping centre.

Officers from Cleveland Police are looking into the incident that is reported to have happened at Teesside Retail Park.

According to the police force, the incident happened around 12.15pm on Tuesday, December 27, as a man pushed a pram across the car park using the pathway from the O2 shop towards the centre of the car park.

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A young child was in the pram, believed to be aged around one, and a second female child around four years old was also with them.

The man is reported to have struck the older child across the face with his hand, resulting in her crying and he then continued to shout at the child and is then reported to have shaken the pram erratically.   

The man then got into his car with the children and made off.

The reporting person described the man as an Asian male, around 5ft 7” tall and around 50 years old.

Officers are appealing for any footage or witnesses to come forward by calling 101, and quoting reference number 233257.