Wigan child car theft mother describes panic
A mother has described the "absolute panic" of seeing a thief drive away in her car with her children inside.
Linda Henson left her BMW outside her front door in Astley, Wigan, to go inside for milk but emerged from the house moments later to find it gone.
It is thought her children Charlie, eight, and six-year-old Penny jumped from the vehicle to escape.
"If anybody can learn anything from it - do. You can't leave you kids in the car for a second," said Mrs Henson.
Mrs Henson had put her children in the car and was about to travel to school when she popped back inside for a pint of milk.
Describing the moment she realised the car was gone, she said: "I just panicked, absolute panic.
"I started screaming, ran out of the house and saw the car driving away."
"I ran to the end of the road, ran around the corner and Charlie then came running to me screaming."
Mrs Henson could not see her daughter and so ran back to her house to call the police. It later emerged that Penny may also have jumped from the car moments after her brother.
Both were later taken to hospital with cuts and bruising and are said to be traumatised by the incident.
The car was abandoned off King William Street, Tyldesley, a few hours after the incident on Tuesday, but police are still hunting the driver.
The children's father, Mike Henson, said he believed the man knew the children were in the car and needed to be caught.
"I think it's incredible that anyone could do anything like this, being aware of the children in the car. I just can't get my head around it at the moment," he said.
"We really need this guy to be caught. We can't have this happening to anyone else.
"Our children are very upset and need to know this guy is not going to be coming back and try to take them away again."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on 0161 2567203 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.