Car stolen with children inside

Police are searching for a thief who stole a car with three children inside.

The girls, aged two, eight and 10, were in the back seat of the blue Ford Mondeo which was parked outside a primary school in Sydenham, south-east London when it was stolen.

The driver of the car, a 48-year-old woman, was taking another child into Eliot Bank Primary School, Thorpewood Avenue, at 0900 GMT on Tuesday, when she heard a screeching noise and turned to see the car racing off.

The girls were released from the car a few yards away at the junction of Thorpewood Avenue and Dartmouth Road.

All were uninjured but were suffering from shock.

Police said the suspect is black, aged around 30-years-old, with a goatee beard.

Witness appeal

He is described as being tall and slim and was wearing a red top and blue jeans.

Detective Sergeant Paul Chapman, from Lewisham CID, who is leading the investigation into the incident, appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

"This would have been at a busy time of day with parents escorting their children to school," he said.

He added that he also wanted anyone who saw the children in a distressed state on Thorpewood Avenue to contact police.