A young mum attacked a man in court after he was cleared of trying to snatch her toddler son.

The 29-year-old Canvey mother lunged at Chinese restaurant cook Yue Ting Chan, 45, as he walked from the dock and repeatedly slapped him around the head.

The distraught woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, yelled at bewildered Mr Yue: "That was my kid you took - and you have got away with it."

Her outburst was in full view of lawyers and Judge Peter Greenwood, who was about to discharge the jury at Basildon Crown Court.

She stopped the beating after her father dashed from the public gallery and pulled her away. Mr Yue mumbled incoherently during the assault, but the interpreter who acted on his behalf during the four-day trial, was not able to decipher what he said in time.

A court security guard was called to the scene and bundled Mr Yue, of Kenmore Close, Canvey, down the back stairs of the courthouse.

Later, the mother wiped tears from her eyes, and said: "I just lost my temper. This business has been going on for nearly a year.

"I thought I was going to lose my little boy at the time. This man pushed my son's buggy away not long after a newly-born baby was snatched from Basildon Hospital."

The jury acquitted Mr Yue of trying to abduct the three-year-old boy from Woolworth's at Canvey in April last year.

He had freely admitted pushing the buggy towards the store's door, but insisted: "I just wanted to play with him."

He went on to say he tried to get a smile from the child. He told defence barrister Rory Field that in Chinese society it was usual to show children affection.

He added: "I would have put him back afterwards. I wanted to make him happy and get a smile from him."

Mr Field asked him if he realised that what he had done was wrong, and Mr Yue replied: "No."

The mother had told the jury how she felt "numb inside" after Mr Yue had pushed the buggy away from her.

Police arrested Mr Yue at the Mayflower restaurant in Furtherwick Road, Canvey.

The mum was not arrested following yesterday's courtroom attack and will not face police charges.

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