A THIEF stole a car in Bury and drove off - while the owner's two children were asleep inside. John Berry's children Jacob, aged 10, and Ben, 14, were later dumped unharmed by the thief.

It was the second incident in two days in which cars have been snatched with children inside. In a similar incident in Manchester at the weekend, two children were driven round for hours by the thief before they were reunited with their frantic parents.

Mr Berry, of Brecon Drive, Bury, left the keys in his white Mazda 626 while he popped into a shop near Bury's Gigg Lane football ground on Sunday.

He said: "I only left the car for a minute, but by the time I came out the car had gone with my children inside." Ben, who was in the front seat, was left on Kingston Way in Radcliffe, a mile from where the car was snatched.

Jacob was given to a lady after the thief posed as a police officer pretending to chase a suspect.

Mr Berry said today: "We are relieved the children were okay.

"The boys were in shock and very frightened."

Police say the man may have been captured on a nearby shop video camera.

He is described as 25-28 years of age with short cropped mousey hair, wearing a blue bubble type coat and blue jeans. He also had a black eye.

"The black eye is a distinguishing mark and someone must know who he is," said Mr Berry.

The car was later found abandoned.

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