Three-year-old abducted from Newcastle Primark

Two girls, aged 13 and 14, admitted at a North Shields youth court today to kidnapping a toddler from a Primark store in Newcastle.

A three-year-old went missing from the store on 13th April but was found later that day in a nearby suburb after an extensive search.

Two teenagers from Tyneside have appeared in court accused of kidnapping a girl aged two and a half in Newcastle, with the intention of committing a sexual offence.

The girls, who are aged 13 and 14 and cannot be named for legal reasons, are also charged with stealing dummies from a Boots store, and stealing a baby bottle and milk from a Sainsbury's store.

The toddler went missing from Primark in Newcastle city centre just before 5pm on Wednesday. She was found safe around three miles away in the Gosforth area, an hour and 45 minutes later, and reunited with her mother.

The teenage girls spoke to confirm their names, addresses and ages during a hearing of the Youth Court, sitting in Bedlington, Northumberland. They have been remanded into the care of the local authority and are due to appear in court again next month.

A spokesperson for Primark has told ITV News Tyne Tees that it is cooperating fully with the police investigation, after two teenagers were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a toddler from its Newcastle city centre store.

The three-year-old girl was found safely in the Gosforth area of the city, just over an hour after she went missing, yesterday afternoon.

The girls, aged 13 and 14, are being questioned by Northumbria Police, on suspicion of child abduction.

Primark said it will not be making any further statement, as the incident is a matter for the police.

Earlier this morning police released a statement.

Two teenage girls have been arrested on suspicion of child abduction after a three-year-old girl went missing from Primark in Newcastle.

Police were informed at 5pm on April 13 that the child had disappeared from the store on Northumberland Street.

Officers say she left the store with two teenage girls who she did not know.

CCTV enquiries were launched with Newcastle City Council, Eldon Square, local retail premises, Newcastle University, bus companies, the metro and police CCTV cameras.

The child was found just over an hour later in Gosforth by a Police Community Support Officer.

Two teenage girls, aged 13 and 14, have been arrested on suspicion of child abduction in connection with the incident.