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A young mum was horrified after a Syrian refugee lifted up her one-year-old daughter at Troon beach.

Eilidh Moore was approached by a group of men behind the Walker Hall and one of them started stroking her baby Millie’s cheek last Thursday afternoon.

She asked him to stop but instead he hoisted up the tot - causing Eilidh to grab her child back.

The concerned mother vented her fury on social media calling for the man to be locked up.

But police are putting the incident down to a “cultural misunderstanding”.

Describing the seafront drama on social media, nail technician Eilidh said: “One of them (men) sat behind Millie and started stroking her face, asking if she was a girl or boy.

“I asked him to leave her alone, which he ignored and at this point I felt my daughter’s vulnerability and asked him a second time to leave her alone.”

Eilidh, of Prestwick, said he “grabbed her under the arms like a bear hug, jumped up and said: ‘I’m taking her’.

She described snatching her daughter and the men walking away “laughing”.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police attended and the man along with two other men were traced. Following enquiries two men were given a police warning and advice was given to all.

“After striking up a conversation it appears one of the men attempted to lift the child. However this was believed to be a genuine misunderstanding and advice was provided.”

It is believed the men were a large group of Syrian refugees from Renfrewshire.

But Eilidh blasted that the men “knew exactly what they were doing” and said it was “disgusting”.

She added: “I am now terrified of taking my children anywhere and I am so thankful my daughter is well and safe.”

Her social media post which contained a photo of the men (pictured) was shared repeatedly on Facebook.

She spoke of being in hysterics and thanked two “kind ladies” who supported her through the ordeal.