A shocking tale unfolds in Tenerife as two British girls one just a baby have been rescued from a dire situation after being discovered “abandoned” in a boiling hot car.

Arona’s local authorities were alerted to the distressing scene in Las Galletas, Tenerife, following the sharp-eyed observations of a 34 year old local resident. This individual noted that a white Volkswagen Polo hire car was parked in the blazing sun close to the search site for missing British teen Jay Slater. 

Grim discovery awaited them upon closer inspection: within the overheated confines of the car, windows firmly shut, sat two young girls. According to police reports, the seven year old revealed their father had left them behind to pop into a nearby shopping centre for a haircut but the girls refused to come out of the car despite being able to unlock it from the inside.

As the situation intensified, the concerned passerby contacted emergency services. Further investigation led officers on a hunt through the shopping centre for the absent father, guided by identification documents found inside the car, next to a bag filled with yoghurts and juices, once the elder girl permitted them to access the vehicle, reports the Daily Star.

Initially, a 38 year old man was detained and interrogated by the police, though he rebuffed any connection to the stranded children, reports the Daily Star.

The girls were taken to La Laguna’s Nuestra Senora de la Paz Maternal Centre, under the directive of the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office. The plot thickened howver when the implicated 38-year old finally admitted to being responsible for the car before abruptly fleeing.

Another individual, believed to be a 35 year old Polish man, arrived later claiming to be a friend of the girls’ father. Following a police investigation, a 27 year old British woman was confirmed as the mother of the girls and they were returned to her.

The 38 year old man remains at large with an arrest warrant issued in his name.