Quarrington Hill: Arrest after car stolen with toddler inside

The girl, who was unharmed, was left in the car with the engine running while its driver dropped off shopping

A man has been arrested after a car was stolen with a two-year-old girl inside.

The girl had been sitting in the back seat of a Vauxhall Vectra in Quarrington Hill, County Durham, at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday when a man jumped in the car and drove off. A kitten was also in the car at the time.

The child, who was unharmed, was found minutes later when the car was dumped in the nearby village of Ludworth.

Durham Police said a local man in his early-20s had been arrested.

The vehicle had been outside a relative's house in Church Street with the engine running while the family dropped off shopping.

The family's kitten has since been found and they have been reunited, officers added.

Police did not say what the man had been arrested on suspicion of but added the investigation was continuing.