THE NIGHTMARE abduction of a young mum and her 11-week-old baby daughter at the hands of a maniac - who threatened to infect the infant with AIDS - has sparked a security review by worried supermarket bosses.
The kidnapper struck at Blackburn's Grimshaw Park Asda superstore car park on Monday. The mother and child were waiting in a car while the father bought groceries.
The man jumped into the driver's seat of the grey M-registered Vauxhall Astra, which still had the keys in the ignition, at around 4.30pm, and demanded jewellery and cash before setting off on a two-mile horror drive.
During the ordeal, the crazed kidnapper threatened to inject the baby, who was strapped to the front passenger seat, with a hypodermic needle he claimed was contaminated with AIDS.
As he sped off along Haslingden Road with his terrified passengers, ignoring the 27-year-old mother's plea to slow down, he collided with several vehicles and almost mowed down a woman and her two children.
The victims were eventually released unharmed in Largs Road, Shadsworth, where the woman raised the alarm. The car was later found abandoned in a garage in Sandwich Close.
Police are now hunting a man who is described as white, in his mid 20s and around five feet eight inches tall with a medium build.
He has very short brown hair and blue eyes and he was wearing a black bomber jacket made of shiny material.
Inspector Stuart Coates, of Blackburn Police, said: "We believe this man has a drugs problem and was desperate to feed his habit. I'm sure even other drugs users will deplore his actions.
"We know he is a local man and I'm sure someone knows where he is hiding. We're following positive several lines of inquiries but need more information from the public."
Officers are now urging anyone waiting in a stationary car to remove the keys from the ignition and lock the doors.
"We would warn against anyone leaving keys in their ignition even if people are in the vehicle," Insp Coates added. AN Asda spokesman told the Citizen that routine security at the store would be re-examined and promised steps would be taken to prevent any repeat of Monday's incident.
National public relations officer Jane Ellison said: "The safety of our colleagues and customers is paramount and therefore we will be conducting a full review of safety features at the Blackburn store.
"Although the car park is patrolled by Asda employees regularly, we will be stepping up patrols. We are also considering extra security such as closed circuit cameras."
The baby threatened by maniac
Scene of the drama, the Asda store in Grimshaw Park
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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