Shoppers spot baby left alone in car - police called

Members of the public saw the baby alone in the car and called police. Photo / Thinkstock

Police officers broke into a car in Huntly yesterday to get to a baby which had been left alone.

Senior Sergeant Dave Simes said a couple who were out shopping saw the baby left unattended in a car in the public car park about 3pm.

"When they returned from shopping they noticed the child still in the car, in distressed state, so they rang police and officers came down.

"On seeing the baby the officers have broken a window to gain access to the car, removed the baby and taken it back to the police station and commenced trying to locate the child's parents.

"The parents were located a short time later, they had been at an appointment with a Government agency and not, as some had suggested, in the hotel next to the car park."

Mr Simes said the child returned home with its parents and the matter had been reported to Child Youth and Family.

"Yesterday highlights the strong community spirit that prevails in Huntly, here we had a situation where people saw something that caused them concern and they took the trouble to alert us to the problem which we're very grateful for."

It followed two similar incidents in the past month.

On March 17 a one-year-old girl was left in a car parked outside a Masterton pub while the car's owner drank with a friend.

Last month five children were placed with caregivers after their parents left them locked in a van while they gambled at SkyCity Casino in Auckland.

- NZ HERALD STAFF