A 10 week old baby has gone on the rampage in East London, leading to extensive property damage and 17 people injured.

Pensioner Gladys Trent said: "I was just getting home when I saw my neighbour Alice coming towards me with the pushchair, and we both said hello. I went up to baby Leo and started playing peek-a-boo. Instead of smiling back like I expected, he just spat into my eye and lobbed a brick through my window. I was horrified."

Her husband Ray described what happened next. "The baby just picked up a mobile phone and quickly sent someone a text message. You know, only our grand-daughter can text that fast. Next thing I knew this gang of older boys came round the corner shouting 'respect man!'

"The boys were only about 7 or 8 years old. One of them had a bag full of fireworks. I thought it was a bit odd, this time of year, wondered where he'd got them from. Then a door opened at the mosque over the road.

"This other group of boys came out of the mosque and shouted 'Jihad!'. The two gangs just stood there, they were eyeballing each other and suddenly the baby went 'googoo!'

"Then he jumped out of the pushchair. I thought he was a bit young even to crawl but he just legged it up the street. All the boys ran after him but stopped to torch some cars on the way."

Other witnesses told us what happened next. They described how the baby stopped at the Mothercare store, leaned up against the window and smashed it with a massive headbutt.

The manager was out there in an instant, but by now baby Leo had grabbed a Triggasplat gun and was pointing it at a Teddy's Wash Day changing unit. In the stand-off that followed the manager nervously got out a bundle of vouchers and some jelly babies and offered them to Leo.

At this point the police arrived along with the baby's distraught mother, and arrested the manager on suspicion of child abduction. The two groups of boys had now reached the store and were engaged in a group punch-up.

A fire engine arrived shortly afterwards. Baby Leo shouted 'Burn!' and one of the boys fired a rocket at the vehicle. In the confusion that followed the baby stole the appliance and ram-raided the local synagogue. Further violence ensued.

We later spoke to Leo's mother Alice who said: "I can't begin to tell you how embarrassed I am. Leo can be a bit of a handful but he's a real diamond you know. He's so advanced and we're constantly amazed by him. As soon as we got him home from the hospital he told us to 'eff off!' Those were his first words you know, we were so proud."