FIREFIGHTERS used all their parenting skills to try and persuade a three-year-old child to unlock a car door after he accidentally locked himself inside.

A crew from Odsal was called to Woodend Court, in West Bowling, at around 1pm today.

"When we got there we found a small boy sitting in his car seat with the doors locked and him holding the car keys, explained firefighter Matthew Broadbent.

"He was absolutely fine. He kept smiling and waving at us as we were around the car, wearing our yellow helmets trying to get him to press the button on the key fob.

"He dropped the keys on the seat a few times and after about 20 minutes, just as we contemplated breaking one of the windows or trying to locate some more keys from somewhere, he suddenly pressed the button and, in effect, released himself.

"He was fine throughout and thought it was all a game. It was the mum who was distressed.

"I think she had been shopping and was emptying the car and had given him the keys to play with when it happened."