A MUM has warned shoppers at Merry Hill to keep a close eye on their little ones after a worrying incident in which two men reportedly approached her little boy.

The concerned mum told how two men in their 20s followed her and her two-year-old during a visit to the shopping mall this morning (Monday January 18).

She said they appeared to be watching and hovering close by and at one point they tried to entice the toddler, who was enjoying a rare day off his reins, to go over to them.

Motherly instinct kicked in, however, and the frightened woman grabbed her little boy and put him safely into his pram before raising the alarm.

She said as soon as she alerted a shop assistant at Asda the two men ran off.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the incident which happened at around 10am near the children's car rides outside Asda, had left her "very shaken" and she added: "I'm in shock. We are not going out alone anytime soon."

She said security staff at the intu shopping centre had been made aware of the drama and she added: "I don't wish to cause panic or scare anyone - just wanted other moms to be aware to keep their little ones close and fastened into a pram when in public. Having been to Merry Hill shopping since I was little I always felt safe there, now I feel it's not a safe place to go."

She described the two men as Asian, about 28-29, about five feet nine and dressed all in black with black trainers and black facemasks.

She said she hoped security officers would check CCTV footage and report the incident to police - adding that all she wanted to do was get her little boy out of the centre and home safely.