VIDEO: Bradford mum's terror as car thief drives away with sleeping child, 3, still in vehicle

The youngster was asleep on the back seat when the villain jumped into the Audi A1 and sped off.

When he realised there was a child in the car he stopped and ordered her out and the tearful youngster was reunited with her mother.

The incident happened outside Listers Newsagent's shop in Eccleshill, Bradford, in broad daylight on Thursday.

Care worker Lucy Firth, 30,  pictured above with her car, stopped outside the shop, in Institute Road, and went inside to buy a drink, leaving the keys in the ignition and the engine running. Her friend, the mother of the child, was in the front passenger seat, with her daughter in the back.

Miss Firth said: "I parked the car directly outside the shop, just a few steps from the front door.

"My friend got out and came to the door to give me some change to get her a drink. When she turned round she saw the car moving.

"It all happened in about five seconds from my friend getting out of the car to it being driven away with her daughter asleep in the back.

"She was screaming. I dropped my handbag and dashed outside the shop. We saw the car going round the corner into Mount Street and chased after it. The next thing, the little girl walked round the corner in tears. We picked her up and hugged her and took her back to the shop and I called the police immediately."

The car owned by Lucy Firth with registration number

The girl's mother, who did not want to be named to protect the identity of her daughter, said: "What happened was horrendous. I was in pure shock, seeing the car speeding round the corner, with my daughter in the back. I have never been so scared in my whole life, it was total fear.

"My body turned to jelly. I was screaming and shouting. When my daughter appeared, it was total relief, because anything could have happened.

"She was very shaken and wanted to know why the man was in the car. She told me the man said 'get out, get out,' and she did.

"You don't expect that to happen when you are just a few steps from your vehicle."

Miss Firth said her car, which is ice silver and worth around £15,000, was still missing and she appealed for anyone with information about its whereabouts to come forward.

She added: "I was shaking when the car drove off with the girl in it. I was having a panic attack and was scared to death for the little girl."

But police said there was some dispute between what the caller had initially told them and their version of events to the Telegraph & Argus.

Asked whether the police disputed whether the child had been driven off in the car, a spokesman said: "There appears to be some sort of discrepancy, which is why we need to speak to the family to establish the circumstances."

But the mother said: "I dispute what the police are saying about that."

The spokesman said: "Police were called to a report of an Audi A1 being stolen in Stone Hall Road, Bradford at about 4.35pm on Thursday, 31 March.

"The caller said her child had been removed from the car unharmed before it was driven off towards Mount Street.

"Officers made enquiries in the area to trace the vehicle, but it was not located.

“Police will be speaking to the complainant in due course to obtain the full circumstances.

"Enquiries are continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting crime reference 13160138376 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."