A man stole a car with a one-year-old baby boy in the back before ramming seven others while trying to escape.
The thief also smashed into a lampost with the young child on board after taking the car on Thursday evening.
The incident happened shortly after 7pm, on Lichfield Road in Chorley, when the driver of an Audi Q7 parked outside a house to collect someone and briefly left the car unlocked.
A man then got into the car and drove towards Rydal Place and then to Gilbert Street with the little boy in the back.
It then became stuck behind a takeaway delivery vehicle and in an attempt to get around it, the driver rammed into seven other stationary cars and a lampost.
As the thief was trying to escape, a black car with a cracked windscreen pulled up behind him and picked him up.
Police investigating the incident do not think the thief knew about the baby in the back who was unharmed and slept through the ordeal.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: "We are appealing for witnesses after a car was stolen whilst a young child was asleep on the backseat in Chorley.
"It happened at around 7:05pm last night (Thursday, January 9th) when the driver of an Audi Q7 has parked up to collect someone from a house on Lichfield Road.
"The vehicle was briefly left unlocked with a one-year-old boy asleep in the back.
"A man has then got into the car, driving off on to Rydal Place and then Gilbert Street where it got stuck behind a takeaway delivery vehicle.
"He has then tried to drive past the delivery car, ramming and damaging seven other stationary cars and a lamppost.
"After a brief altercation, the man managed to escape from the front of the car.
"A black people carrier or estate-style vehicle with a cracked windscreen approached from behind and took him away.
"We think that the offender’s intention was to steal the car and that it’s likely that they unaware that a child was in the back.
"Thankfully the young boy wasn’t injured and slept throughout the incident.
"No one has yet been arrested. If you know anything about what happened or who was involved, we need to speak to you.
"Similarly, if you know of a car that matches the description with a cracked windscreen, we would urge you to come forward."
You can call 01257 246190 or 101 quoting incident 1360 of January 9th.
Alternatively independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111 or online at socsi.in/oaB3A .
