POLICE IN THE Westminster area of London have issued an appeal for information following reports of an assault on a one-year-old boy.

CCTV footage from a Boots pharmacy, the location of the incident, has been released as part of the appeal.

A woman with a baby in a pushchair entered the store on the The Strand in central London at around 12:30m on 16 January, police say.

She appeared to have been followed in by the suspect, who walked straight to the pushchair and reached into it taking hold of the baby’s throat for a second.

According to police, the mother of the baby had originally thought that the suspect was simply going to fuss over her baby — but when she saw what was actually happening, she immediately grabbed the suspect’s hand to prevent the assault from continuing.

It’s reported the suspect uttered the words “that baby would rather be dead” as she was escorted out by a security guard at Boots.

She then proceeded to walk off towards Trafalgar Square.

The baby wasn’t injured in the incident — but the mother was “extremely shaken up and traumatised”.

The suspect is described as a white woman in her early 60s around 5 foot 2 inches tall, of chubby build, with light coloured hair and a boil or eye deformity on her face.

She wore a deer stalker hat and a distinctive white, red and grey stripped poncho top with a brown handbag and black boots.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact London Metropolitan Police.

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