Baby left in hot car

A MOTHER left a baby unattended in her car for one hour yesterday while she visited the doctor and “bought cigarettes”.

Emergency services were called to Australia Fair about 12pm to reports an 18-month old male child was in distress in the back of a car in the undercover car park.

A Coles employee raised the alarm and called police, comforting the child until paramedics arrived.

Detectives, fire crews and paramedics responded, with firefighters forced to smash the car open to free the baby.

The baby was taken to hospital in a stable condition for observation.

The child’s 28-year-old mother has been served with a notice to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on December 6, charged with leaving a child under 12 unattended.

A police spokesman said the baby was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital as he had been in the car “for some time”.