A MOTHER who claimed that she fought off a bogus health visitor who
tried to snatch her four-month-old baby is to be the subject of a report
to the procurator-fiscal.
A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said yesterday: ''We are
not seeking anyone in connection with the incident. The case is now
closed. A report will be going to the procurator-fiscal.''
The force said that it would not be re-examining earlier attempted
baby-snatch incidents, which had been linked to the case.
It is thought that mother-of-two Mrs Lynne Stewart, 35, may have
invented the story as a cry for help. The police report will detail all
circumstances of the case and is expected to be sympathetic towards her.
However, Mrs Stewart later denied inventing the story.
Holding baby Erin in her arms, she said: ''As far as I'm concerned,
I'm sticking by my story. It's no hoax, it all happened as I said.
''I'm not going to be charged with wasting police time. I've heard
rumours about this. The inquiry is now over, and if you want any more
information then you'd better speak to the police.''
Stunned neighbours said that Mrs Stewart had spent four to five hours
with CID officers on Tuesday -- the day the search for the would-be
abductor was called off.
Officers are thought to have focused attention on Mrs Stewart after
attempts to trace the woman allegedly responsible drew a blank.
A major police hunt, involving dozens of officers, was launched three
weeks ago after Mrs Stewart claimed that a smartly-dressed woman, posing
as a health visitor, had tried to abduct her baby daughter.
Her convincing story received widespread media coverage when she
relived her ordeal with Erin and her husband, Michael, by her side at
Lothian and Borders police HQ, at Fettes, Edinburgh.
She said that she had punched the woman, forcing her to drop the baby
after the woman had tried to take the infant from her home in South
Gyle, Edinburgh, on April 25.
Mr Stewart said at the time that he was ''very proud'' of his wife.
Mrs Stewart said that she had been ill all night after the attempted
snatch and had been seen by her doctor.
Police had linked the incident to an earlier abduction attempt at
nearby Hermiston Court, and issued a photofit picture of the woman
thought to be responsible, along with a full description.
Next-door neighbour Mrs Rosa Stewart, 34, (no relation) a mother of
two boys, said there would be great anger within the close-knit
community about what had happened.
''There are lots of young babies in the neighbourhood. Everybody has
been scared to leave their children alone because of all the upset.
''I feel she's put everybody through hell, but she obviously must be
ill and needing help.
''I will be there to help her, but I don't think she'll get much
sympathy from other people. I think there will be a lot of anger.''
Mrs Stewart said that she had had doubts about her neighbour's claims.
''I had my suspicions from the beginning. She had a panic alarm upstairs
in her home, and I wondered afterwards why she hadn't hit that.
''She also appeared the next day in full make-up, and if someone had
tried to snatch my kids, I wouldn't have been in make-up.
''This is a quiet estate and we all look out for each other. There is
no way something like this could happen without anyone seeing it.''
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