A MOTHER has told of the nightmare of seeing a thief drive off in her car with her seven-year-old child inside.

Anna Hawkes was in tears as she described the moment she saw a man speed away with her daughter, Hannah.

The man pushed Hannah from the car several streets away and she had the presence of mind to find her aunt's house.

The theft occurred shortly before midnight on Thursday when Ms Hawkes, 35, left her car with the key in the ignition for a few seconds to collect a friend in her home town of Thornaby, near Stockton.

She said: "I literally ran to the door on Saltburn Road, knocked, and turned to run back when I saw him dive in the driver's seat.

"I just turned into a loony. I ran to the car screaming and jumped at the window.

"I was swearing and screaming at him 'my daughter's in the back, my daughter's in the back'. But he started driving and pushed me away. I was on the floor screaming."

Cleveland Police immediately alerted officers across the area and other forces in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Hannah felt a shove, or a punch to her head, from the thief at the junction of Diamond Road and Lanehouse Road.

She said: "This man was shouting 'Hannah get out'. I don't know how he knew my name. I climbed out with my quilt.

"I was crying. Then I stopped because I knew my auntie wasn't far away and I went to see her."

The car was a maroon Audi 80 with a black passenger-side door. The man was in his late teens or early 20s. He had dark hair and wore a cream hooded top.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Detective Superintendent Dave Brunskill on (01642) 302226.