A mother was arrested last night after the discovery of a distraught little girl in a locked car caused a frantic search around Dereham for her parents.
A mother was arrested last night after the discovery of a distraught little girl in a locked car caused a frantic search around Dereham for her parents.
Police smashed a car window to get to a screaming child who had been left alone for over half an hour in the Cowper Road car park.
The little girl, thought to be between 18 months and two years, was found by shoppers asleep in her car seat and locked in a black Vauxhall Astra at about 1.15pm. No parents or carers could be found and police were called.
While they were monitoring the car, the child woke up and became distressed.
They tried to cheer her up from outside the car while the search was carried out of the town centre shops and Tannoy announcements were made.
A police officer decided to smash the driver's window and free her when nobody could be found.
Staff in nearby shops said the girl was 'screaming her head off' but nobody returned to the car.
The girl was taken to Dereham police station while the search continued for her parents.
Her mother was later found.
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