A MAN at the centre of a child abduction alert at a North-East shopping centre has been released without charge following consultation with medical experts.

The 40-year-old was arrested after grabbing a young girl who was shopping with her mother at the Cornmill Centre in Darlington on Wednesday.

The local man was arrested after passers-by and security staff wrestled him to the floor in front of hundreds of stunned shoppers.

Darlington Police confirmed last night that the man was released after it emerged that he is under observation for a mental health disorder.

A spokesman said: "A 40-year-old Darlington man was arrested and interviewed but was released with no further action following discussions with his doctor."

The incident happened at 10.45am in the busy shopping mall in Darlington town centre.

Witnesses say that the man became agitated when a member of the public asked him to pick up a piece of litter which he had dropped on the floor. He grabbed the girl, believed to be around four-years-old, but her mother managed to wrestle her free immediately afterwards. He then ran into the New Look clothes shop and was acting in a distressed manner, before he was stopped by security guards.

The girl was not harmed in the incident.