Store Security Guard Allegedly Takes Child Off Breastfeeding Mother

Police are to investigate allegations that a store security guard physically removed a child from its mother's breast as it was feeding in an effort to force the mother out of the store.

Posting on the Facebook page of Free to Feed, Caroline Starmer claims that she was feeding her child in a Primark store on Monday when she was asked to leave.

The mother claims that after telling to security guard that she was legally allowed to breastfeed her child, the security guard allegedly took the child from its mother and walked away. He is alleged to have told the mother that if she wanted her daughter back she would have to "come and get her".

Both Primark and police have said that they are investigating the incident.

Man Arrested Over Chapel Arson

A man has been arrested in connection with a deliberate fire at a historic chapel in Merthyr Tydfil.

The inside of Capel Aberfan, built in 1876, was completely destroyed by the blaze on Saturday.

The chapel had closed in 2012, but some services were still held there and renovations were ongoing to try and modernise it and bring it back into community use.

An investigation found that the fire had been started deliberately.

Police Issue Warning Over Telephone Scam

Police are warning people to be alert to a phone scam.

It is understood that fraudsters, pretending to be police officers, are targeting people over the phone and trying to con them out of their life savings.

Officers are currently investigating three incidents that happened in the Sunderland area but are advising people throughout the region to be on their guard.

The con involves a member of the public receiving a call from a person pretending to be a police officer. This fake officer tells the victim that their bank account is at risk of being hacked and they face having their money stolen.

They are told to contact their bank and withdraw all of the money from their account as soon as possible and that a police officer would come to their house, collect it and take statements.

The fake officer then tells the victim to hang up and ring the local police to confirm that the story is genuine.

The victim ends the call, thinking they have hung up on the 'officer' but the offender does not hang up and keeps the line open and the call going.

The victim then dials their local police and thinks they are speaking to the force, when in fact, because the previous call is still open, they are still talking with the fraudster, who is pretending to be a local police officer and falsely confirms that their bank account is at risk and the 'officer' is genuine.

They then arrange a date and time for an 'officer' to come and pick the cash up and take a statement.

Police are urging people to be on their guard and to take steps to avoid becoming a victim:

• Be aware that fraudsters often use techniques to hold your phone line open, so that when you try to dial out to verify the caller, they intercept and re-answer the call, claiming to be the bank or law enforcement.

• To ensure that your phone has not been compromised, we recommend using a different phone line to verify the caller. Where a second phone line is not available, try calling a family or friend on the line first, as the fraudster will find it difficult to impersonate a voice that is known to you.

• Never disclose your PIN or online / telephone banking log-in information or card reader codes to anyone, even if the caller claims to be from the bank or police. Remember, banks NEVER call and ask you to disclose these security details.

• If you receive a call requesting your PIN, card details or online / telephone banking log-in information, end the call immediately.

• If you receive a suspicious or unexpected call, always verify the caller by taking their phone number and getting it checked independently.

• Ensure elderly relatives and neighbours are aware of the fraud and crime prevention advice.

Report any suspicious phone calls to police straight away on 101 ext 69191. 

(MH/JP)