Teenage girls 'tried to kidnap' three-year-old in Primark

The toddler disappeared after apparently leaving a Primark store in Newcastle city centre with two girls she did not know

The pair allegedly took the child from a Primark in Newcastle city centre (Getty Images)

Two teenage girls have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a three-year-old girl in Newcastle.

The toddler disappeared from a Primark store in the city centre at around 5pm on Wednesday evening.

It triggered a city-wide search after officers found that she had apparently left the shop with two teenage girls she did not know.

Police examined CCTV footage from Newcastle City Council, local shops, Newcastle University, bus companies, the metro and their own cameras to search for the missing girl.

She was eventually found, more than an hour later, three miles away in Gosforth..

The teenage girls, aged 13 and 14, were arrested on suspicion of child abduction and are in custody.

Chief Inspector Dave Gould said: “Thankfully the child was quickly located by officers and then reunited with her mother.

“This has been an incredibly distressing time for the girl’s family and specialist officers are working with and supporting the family.

“We mobilised all available local police resources to make sure the girl was found as quickly as possible and also included assistance from the public, and many of our partner agencies including Newcastle local authority and university as well as staff from retail premises, bus companies, train station and metro system.

“I would like to thank all of those involved for their help in finding this little girl and helping reunite her with her mother.

“Our enquiries will now continue to establish the circumstances of what happened and speaking to the two teenage girls in custody regarding the incident.”

Additional reporting by Press Association