A MAN who was arrested on suspicion of trying to snatch a young child from a Darlington shopping centre is to undergo psychiatric tests.

The middle-aged man was pinned to the floor by security staff and police after shoppers called for help at the Cornmill Centre this morning.

Witnesses said that the man was stopped as he tried to grab a young girl who was shopping with her mother and a friend.

The man is now in police custody and is undergoing mental health assessment.

A spokeswoman for the police said that the man got into an argument with a fellow shopper shortly before the incident.

"He was in the Greggs bakery and dropped a piece of packaging on the floor on his way out.

"Two woman and a small girl saw this and one of them asked him to pick up the litter. One of the shop assistants from Greggs also asked him.

"He got agitated and grabbed the little girl by the waist. One of the women grabbed her back straight away.

"He then ran into the New Look clothes shop and he was causing a disturbance. He was arrested and is now in custody."

Shoppers watched in horror as the man tried to snatch the young girl, who was believed to be about four-years-old.

Within seconds, security staff and passers-by had him pinned to the floor, and the girl was returned to her mother.

The middle-aged man was heard to shout “just let me go”, and “I did nothing wrong”, as police, helped by up to six people, struggled to handcuff him.

Shopper Jeanette Wood was passing when the incident took place.

She said: “I heard a man shouting for help at the top of his voice. I looked over and he was on the floor screaming.

He was under a pile of security guards and police officers.

“I thought he was a shoplifter or something, but someone said that he had tried to grab a little girl.

“Her mother was there shaking like a leaf, and the little girl was crying.”

The girl and her mother were not harmed.

Witnesses are asked to call police on 0345-60-60-365.