POLICE are hunting a man who slapped and burnt a three year-old boy on the hand after he was wet by a water pistol.

The boy and his two friends, both aged eight, were playing on Raleigh Road in Norton, near Stockton, at 6.30pm on Monday (June 3) with water pistols when they wet an adult male who was walking past.

The man became angry and walked over to the children and slapped the three-year-old boy on the hand and burnt him with a cigarette, leaving him with a small burn injury to his finger. No medical treatment was needed.

The man is described as white, 6ft 4ins tall, in his late 20s, very skinny wearing a white hard hat and a hi-visibility vest. He had a tattoo on one of his forearms. He walked from Raleigh Road in the direction of Wolfe Road.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.