Footage shows moment 12-year-old girl is forced to throw herself from hijacked car

Girl was forced to leave her baby brother in the car as she made her dramatic escape

CCTV footage has captured the moment a 12-year-old girl throws herself from a moving car to escape a hijacking.

The unnamed girl was forced to abandon her 11-month-old baby brother - who was still strapped into his car seat - when the car was hijacked in Enfield, north London on Saturday.

The little boy was found unharmed on a doorstep around 10 miles away in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

The children’s mother had temporarily left of the car to go to the shops when the unknown thief leapt into the driving seat of the black Vauxhall Astra and sped off.

Frightened, the girl managed to leap out of the car and roll into the road while her mother called the police.

Officers attended the scene and the girl suffered minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

The London Metropolitan Police have launched an urgent appeal for people to come forward with information.

Detective Inspector Chris Rixon from the Enfield CID: “The suspect is an opportunist who showed little regard for the welfare and the safety of the children.

“What happened is every parent’s worse nightmare and I’m specifically appealing for the suspect to give himself up now before it is too late”.

DI Rixon said the thief was “a callous and dangerous criminal” who “put the lives of two young children in jeopardy”.

He said: “It’s not too late to do the right thing and come forward and speak to police”.

The officer praised the bravery of the little girl, saying: “The fact that she threw herself out of moving vehicle just shows how frightened she was”.

Anyone with information is asked to call Enfield CID on 020 8345 3323 or the police non-emergency line on 101.