Car thief stole the car - but returned the baby

Last updated at 16:27 20 July 2006


A thief who unwittingly stole a car in Liverpool containing a baby got an attack of conscience and handed the youngster over to police - but kept the car.

The cheeky criminal panicked after realising a six-month-old baby boy was on the back seat of the stolen car.

He drove to a nearby police station and dropped the child off before making his escape in the red Citroen Xsara.

But police spotted the car, which had been reported stolen by the baby's frantic mother, and chased after it.

The stolen car collided with a parked car and officers arrested a 26-year-old local man. He was taken to hospital with minor head and leg injuries.

The baby was recovered from outside the station still strapped inside his car seat and reunited with his parents.

Detective chief inspector Nikki Holland, of Merseyside Police, described the incident as "every parents' nightmare".

She said: "The incident is being treated as a theft of a car and fortunately the baby involved has been returned to his parents safe and well.

"The baby was dropped off outside Allerton Police Station within minutes of the theft and a man has been arrested on suspicion of car theft.

"Fortunately incidents such as this are rare, but I would like to take this opportunity to stress to motorists that if they leave their car unattended at any time they must ensure the car is properly secured.

"This must be every parents' nightmare and to avoid this I would like to remind parents not to leave their children unattended in cars."

The car was stolen from outside a house in Ribbledale Road, in the Allerton area of the city, just after 11am today.

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