POLICE are hunting a woman who is said to have tried to snatch a baby from her mother in Penzance.
The child's mother suffered scratches to her arm as she tried to shield her daughter from the suspect.
Officers are now searching for the offender, who is believed to have mental health issues.
"This has got to be a mother's worst nightmare and I can imagine that she would have been very shocked," said Penzance Inspector Jean Phillips.
The incident took place at around 11.40am on Friday June 28 when the mother was pushing her daughter in a pram along Adelaide Street.
The suspect then came running up to her shouting "you've got my baby, you've got my boy", police said, adding that she wasn't known to the mother.
The woman then reached towards the push chair but didn't manage to grab the child.
Police have released a description of the woman they want to speak to in connection with the incident.
She is said to be in her late 20s, around 5'4" tall with a slim build and shoulder length brown hair with fading tints of red. She was also said to be wearing a coat and dark trousers or jeans and had a small dog.
A man was also at the scene at the time of the incident and is believed to have taken the suspect away.
Police have spoken to people living along Adelaide Street and are also looking at CCTV in the area.
"I was really surprised when I heard about this incident because it is so unusual for the area," said Inspector Phillips.
"I would ask people to remain vigilant but not to be alarmed."
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 quoting crime reference AP/13/1530.
