Police were called on a couple who left their newborn baby alone in a car while they shopped in a B&M.
Officers were dispatched to the carpark after a passer-by spotted the baby alone in the vehicle last Thursday lunchtime.
Concerned for the baby's welfare, the member of the public called police and managed to gain access to the car to check on the child.
The incident, which happened in Middlesborough, was reported to the shopping centre and despite a tannoy announcement being made, the parents still failed to return to their vehicle.
Police confirmed the time between the call from the member of the public and the baby being reunited with its parents was 11 minutes, Teesside Live reports.
A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said the baby's parents were given "strong words of advice" about leaving their child unattended in a car.
The worrying incident was met with concerned comments from locals online.
One called for the parents to be "named and shamed".
Another said: "Figures it would be outside a B&M on the Trunk Road."
Another added: "Cheap biscuits and crisps are a priority."
A fourth added: "This is a serious criminal offence and should not be being discussed in this way."
There is no specific law against leaving your child unattended in the car, but it is illegal to do so if it places them at risk.
Another added: "Cheap biscuits and crisps are a priority."
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