A MOTHER watched on helplessly after her baby and keys were locked inside her car by its automatic central locking system.

Ulrika Felldin-Waucquez, 36, of Newtown Road, Marlow, had just arrived home after Christmas shopping at around 5pm last Wednesday and was late for her tot's tea-time.

She was rushing to unbuckle the baby in the back seat and struggling with a pram at the same time when the car door she had been propping open slammed shut in the wind.

The automatic locking system on her BMW 320 estate trapped seven-month-old Maximilian inside along with both her car keys and house keys.

Mrs Felldin-Waucquez said: "I couldn't believe it. How could I be so stupid?

"The central locking system must have timed out because I didn't put the key in the engine.

"Max started crying and I didn't know what to do. My husband was away on business and my neighbours were out."

She called ten locksmiths in the area and was put through to their out of hours service. She waited for up to an hour to be rescued, but no-one came out.

She said: "Max was getting more and more distressed.

"He was crying because he was tired and I had his dummy. He was probably getting hungry too. I talked to him through the glass but I got really worried when he stopped screaming and started rocking and wailing.

"I didn't want to break the window in case pieces of glass fell on him."

At that point Mrs Felldin-Waucquez called the fire brigade. She said: "A crew from Marlow came down in five minutes and they were fantastic.

"They were really professional and kept me calm by asking questions and telling me what they were doing at every stage. They were absolute heroes."

The firemen removed the rear window on the driver's side.

Mrs Felldin-Waucquez said: "I always put the keys down on the seat when I am getting Max out of his seat because a friend of mine cut her baby's face lifting him out with her keys in her hand.

"Now I keep them in my pocket. Since the incident I have heard of so many other people who have done something similar and locked their child in the car.

"I don't want anyone to go through what I did. I hope they learn from my mistake."