Horror as mum leaves tot in car at M&S car park, Sutton Coldfield in searing heat

Horrified shoppers and shop staff in Sutton Coldfield were left shocked and angered after a mum left her young daughter in a car in searing heat in the middle of the day. The incident took place at the Princess Alice Retail Park in New Oscott, close to the M&S Foodhall store, on Monday (June 12) lunchtime at around 1. 30pm.

A young tot, believed to be aged two or three, was left in a Honda car, which had its doors unlocked. The heat wave had led to soaring temperatures but the child was said to have been left on her own ‘for a good 15 minutes’ in the car, which had no windows open. Then a shopper at M&S, who works as a childminder, spotted the child after hearing her ‘scream’.

She got her out of the car and took her to M&S and comforted her, while staff members waited by the car for the mum to return. Read more: Two seriously injured in crash with car ‘were on stolen motorbike’ The incident was captured on video, which BirminghamLive has seen. The video shows an M&S worker telling the mum ‘it’s 100 degrees outside’, it’s [shopping] not worth your child’.

The mum protested ‘I just left her for a moment’ but the childminder that rescued the tot said ‘it was a good 15 minutes’. The childminder said: “She was sweating. She was screaming.

Do you know how much trouble you could be in for this?” The mum said: “Are you serious?” And several people say “Yes”. Another shopper says: “I wouldn’t even leave my dog in the car. ” The incident took place outside the M&S Foodhall at Princess Alice Retail Park in New Oscott, with the young girl taken inside and looked after by staff and a childminder (Image: Google) The mum said: “She was fast asleep.

” She is told: “It doesn’t matter. I am a childminder you cannot leave a child in the car. ” She was told again about the heat, while another person says ’she could have been kidnapped’.

She is told she should ‘never, ever’ leave her daughter in the car, particularly in the heat. A spokeswoman for M&S confirmed staff members assisted the childminder in looking after the tot and said: “Our colleagues are always on hand to provide support and assistance to customers and we’re glad the incident has been resolved. ” West Midlands Police attended the incident and spoke to the mum about the incident.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “We were called to reports of a young child being left in a car at the M&S car park in Princess Alice Drive, Sutton Coldfield around 1. 30pm on Monday (12 June). “A member of staff managed to get the child out of the car when officers arrived.

The child was thankfully unharmed. The mother has been advised of the dangers of leaving her child alone in the car especially with the current hot weather, and appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure the child is not at any risk. ” Read more: Moment hooded thieves attempt to steal Mercedes coupe off drive Penny Thompson CBE, independent chair of the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership, said: “Due to the potential risks young children should not be left unattended, particularly in extreme weather.

During hot weather the temperature inside a vehicle can reach dangerous levels. “As children cannot control their body temperature as efficiently as adults, the associated risks can range from mild heat stress to potentially life-threatening heatstroke and dehydration, with children under four particularly vulnerable. “We commend the actions of the Marks and Spencer’s customer and staff member in this instance, whose vigilance and prompt action helped to prevent any harm from coming to the child.

If a child is suffering from heat illness, government advice from the UK Health Security Agency is to move the child to a cool room, encourage them to drink water, and cool them down as rapidly as possible e. g. , using a cool, wet sheet.

“If they do not respond to treatment within 30 minutes dial 999 to request an ambulance. For additional guidance on how to keep cool during hot weather, visit: gov. uk/ukhsa/beat-the-heat .

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