A HEREFORD couple have praised a supermarket 'superman' who appeared from nowhere to use a pen-knife and cooking oil to free their bawling baby stuck in a shopping trolley.

Panic mounted for Tina and Kevin Bishop when they realised their 11-month-old baby Kiera was entangled in the trolley during their weekly shop at Belmont's Tesco store.

"She managed to get her foot in the gap near the handle of the trolley. Her leg slipped further down and she couldn't get it out," said Kevin.

Baby Kiera became hysterical and her distressed parents rushed to customer services to see if they had anything they could unscrew the trolley with - but they had nothing to offer.

Instead, the staff raced Kiera, complete with trolley, to the cooking oil section to try and free her trapped leg.

A crowd of onlookers gathered before Kiera was eventually prised out of the trolley when the Swiss Army knife-brandishing community support officer came to the rescue.

CSO Shane Jenkins, who works alongside regular police officers in the Belmont community, was on his regular rounds when he popped in to Tesco for a quick chat with staff members.

"A member of staff walked past me looking quite distressed and pointed towards the tobacco kiosk where the commotion was.

"I heard a young child screaming and she was stuck fast. It was amazing how she managed to get her foot stuck in such a small gap.

"I usually carry a multi-tool with me and it was a stroke of luck I had it with me at the time," said CSO Jenkins who said he was happy to be of help.

Using the pliers attachment to bend the bars back on the trolley, he released Kiera, who, apart from a small scratch and a slight bruise, appeared to be okay.

"If he hadn't been there, the staff were thinking of calling the fire brigade," said Tina.

Kevin, a transport manager at Wincanton, wanted to thank the quick-thinking actions of the supermarket staff as well as the community support officer.

Now Kiera refuses point blank to go in a trolley. Tina said: "I don't know what we are going to do now when we go shopping - one of us will have to carry her!"