Police are treating an incident where a woman approached a mother in a Stevenage park – asking if she could hold her daughter – as suspicious.

At around 11.50am on Saturday a woman was with her baby daughter by the picnic benches near Noah’s Ark Day Nursery – set in the grounds of Fairlands Valley Park and off Shephall View.

The mum was approached by a woman who said that her daughter was “very pretty” and asked if she could she hold her. She then lifted the child’s sun hat to see her face.

The mother left the park with her daughter, and a police spokeswoman has said at no point did the woman attempt to take the child.

They added: “Officers attended the park, but a woman matching the description could not be located.

“This is being dealt with as a suspicious incident, and the details have been shared with local officers.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Herts police on 101.