Mum's supermarket thank you video of baby at the checkout goes viral

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Alistair Walker and MubarakImage source, Lauren Walker

A three-second video of a baby on a checkout operator's lap has become an online hit, much to the surprise of his mum.

Lauren Walker posted a clip on Marks & Spencer's Facebook page to thank the cashier after a visit to their store in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire.

It shows the 23-year-old's son Alistair sitting on the lap of an employee named Mubarak while he scans items.

The ten-month-old is seen mesmerised by ketchup, juice and a bag of bananas.

Lauren tells Newsbeat Alistair was getting tired and restless after a day shopping with his mum and grandma.

When they reached the checkout he was shouting "hi" and clapping to get Mubarak's attention before the cashier offered to take the baby while they packed their bags.

Image source, Lauren Walker
Image caption,
"This man made my shopping experience so much easier" wrote Lauren in the video she posted on Facebook

Lauren says she filmed and shared the video as a thank you to the supermarket and is shocked by how many people have seen it.

The video has been shared nearly 600 times on Facebook and liked by almost 8,000 people.

"All of a sudden, over a couple of days it's been everywhere and shared all over the world," she says.

"Alistair wasn't too impressed when we had to go.

"When Mubarak handed him back to me he turned back around as if to say, 'Nah, it's quite alright, Mum, I'll stay here thanks.'

"He was looking at me like, 'Where are you planning on taking me?'"

Image source, Lauren Walker
Image caption,
Lauren says Alistair is a "very sociable little baby" and that she "never has to worry about him going shy."

Lauren says that Alistair is a happy baby who is "happy to go around and say hi to everybody" but that more people should appreciate the struggle young mums face in their day to day lives.

"People need to remember that everyone was a baby at one time in their life, kids do get tired if you're out shopping and you just need get on with it.

"It's normal for these things to happen. Not every baby can sit through a full days shopping without getting tired."

Marks & Spencer tell Newsbeat that Mubarak has become a minor celebrity in the Uddingston community since the video was posted.

"Chatting to customers and helping make a difference where I can is the bit of my job I enjoy the most," he says.

And M&S also say he has been inundated with customers wanting to stop and chat all week.

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