Police probe ‘street attack’ after stranger stubbs out cigarette on three-year-old’s head

A mum has spoken of her horror after a stranger stubbed out a cigarette on her three-year-old son’s head.

Malikah Lal, 30, was walking through a city centre when a random passer-by cruelly put out the fag end on little Javid’s forehead “like it was an ashtray.”

Furious Malikah, from Nottingham, said she was left rooted to the spot in shock as the man smiled and casually walked off – leaving Javid in agony.

The youngster was left with painful burns and a nasty mark for two days following the shocking attack.

Malikah said: “I’m so angry and upset. It breaks my heart someone could do this to any child, never mind my son.

“He walked past and turned around, looked directly at my son and crushed his fag-end out on his head like it was an ashtray.

“Then the man just stood there, as if he was waiting for a reaction, as if he had done nothing wrong. Then he smiled and casually walked away.

“I grabbed my son, because the man didn’t run off. I picked him up and was just holding him and telling him I was sorry.

“I am feeling disappointed with myself, because I’ve always thought if someone went for my children, I would go for them.

“I feel kind of responsible, as if I’ve let my baby boy down. I was mortified and was nearly physically sick. I couldn’t stop crying.

“But he didn’t even cry. He stood there saying ‘ouch ouch ouch’ and rubbing his head – I think I was more traumatised by it than him.

“He still talks to this day about the ‘nasty man’.”

Javid’s dad, maintenance worker Javid Lal, 35, added: “I am livid.

“How can someone put a cigarette out on a three-year-old’s head?

“It hurts me as a father that I wasn’t there to protect my son.”

Malikah, a full time mum-of-three, said she was too scared to leave the house for two days after the incident  .

She added: “I’ve lived here all my life and nothing like this has ever happened to me and I’m sure is unlikely to happen again.

“But I have to watch out for my other kids – my daughter Hannah, who’s 10, and my other son Hamzah, who’s 9. I want to move away from the area.”

Miss Lal’s friend, Rachel Johnson, who was with her at the time, tried chasing the attacker.

Rachel, 27, also a mum-of-three, said: “I confronted him because I wasn’t with my kids. I’m shocked and disgusted.

“After he walked off I started running after him but then it looked like he was going to hit me and he ran off.

“I chased after him, but lost him.”

A spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire Police confirmed that enquiries were ongoing.