Fury of mum as baby left trapped in car

AN ANGRY and tearful mum from Bodmin has lodged an official police complaint after they refused to help rescue her baby daughter who became trapped in a car.

A distraught Danielle Stephens was forced to call a glass company in Wadebridge to smash a window of her vehicle to free nine-month-old Maize-Mae.

Mrs Stephens, who owns the Bloom Room florists in Bodmin and Wadebridge, said she was parked near G and PJ Nute veterinary surgery at Higher Trenant when the door of her car locked automatically, leaving Maize-Mae inside, along with her mobile phone and other belongings.

"I was beside myself with worry, and ran into the vets' and dialled 999, and asked for the police and fire brigade," said the 30-year-old businesswoman.

"The operator told me to stay by the car and comfort Maize-Mae and that the police would be there shortly.

"But later, a member of staff at the vets' came out to say they had a call and the police would not be coming because the matter wasn't serious enough.

"They said I should try and smash my way into the car myself, but I'm not strong enough to do that. I was beside myself with worry and eventually contacted Camel Glass in Wadebridge, who were brilliant, and managed to break a small window so I could get to Maize-Mae.''

Mrs Stephens said it had been a stressful ordeal for her and her baby daughter, who had been trapped in the car for 20 minutes.

Later she went to Bodmin police station and made an official complaint about the refusal of police to come to the aid of her daughter.

"I was told Wadebridge police station was unmanned and it would have taken 20 minutes for police to arrive from Bodmin, but obviously they couldn't be bothered.

"You often read about the police rescuing dogs from hot cars in the summer, but apparently it's not their job to rescue babies from cars," said Mrs Stephens.

"But I would very much like to thank Ryan Tyson and his colleagues at Camel Glass, they did a fantastic job in the end.''

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said yesterday that the force would be dealing with Mrs Stephen's concerns.

"We have received an official complaint from Mrs Stephens and we will be investigating the matter,'' he said.