A woman has hit out at an Asda security guard after she allegedly refused to help save a baby left in a hot car over fears she might lose her job.

Jenna Langston, 33, said she forced the boot open and climbing in to get the boy, who was covered in sweat, out of the car.

She said he was left in the car at a branch of Asda in Barnes Hill, Birmingham, for around half an hour when it was 31°C outside.

Jenna Langston dropped her shopping bags and broke into the car (Picture: BPM Media)

Police and paramedics rushed to the supermarket and the baby, thought to have been around three months old, was taken to hospital for a check-up following the incident last Thursday.




Jenna, a care manager, said: ‘I saw a guard standing by a black car and initially thought: “I hope no one’s left a dog in there”.

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‘I had already heard a tannoy announcement giving a registration plate while I was inside the store and quite a bit of time had passed since then.

‘But a guard said a baby was inside. I dropped my shopping and ran over to the car. I said the baby needed to come out straight away – it was 31°C.

‘But the guard said they couldn’t break in because it would be classed as breaking and entering.

‘I said I didn’t care and I was going to get the baby out. The guard said: “We can’t help you do that. I could lose my job.”‘

However, an Asda spokesman told Metro.co.uk that Ms Langston and the security guard worked together in securing the child’s safety.

He said in a statement: ‘As soon as our colleagues were made aware of this incident they called the emergency services and took advice on how to deal with the situation.

‘Our security colleague and Ms Langston worked together to get into the car safely and we are pleased that the baby is safe and well.’

The child was left alone with no cracked windows or air conditioning in 31C heat (Picture: Google)

The spokesman added: ‘We have investigated the incident with the store colleagues and reviewed the CCTV of the incident and there is no evidence to suggest our colleague made any comments about fearing for her job – and we would never reprimand a colleague for trying to do the right thing.’

A source told Metro.co.uk that police advised against smashing the window in fear of injuring the baby and that Ms Langston, who claimed she forced open the boot, found it open, which meant they didn’t have to.

Ms Langston continued: ‘All the doors were locked and none of the windows were open. I forced the boot and threw bags and everything else out to get access to the baby.

‘I got myself into the boot and put my top half over the back seat. He was dripping with sweat – his babygro was like it had been through the washing machine.



‘I opened the doors to let some air in and someone else asked if I wanted to sit in their car with the baby as it had air conditioning. Then the police and paramedics arrived.

‘I handed the baby over to the ambulance crew. They said he seemed fine but they had to take him to hospital. There was still no sign of the car driver – it had been around 50 minutes by now.

‘Then she appeared, walking slowly back to her car. I screamed at her and asked what she had been thinking. I was really distressed. But she just looked at the floor.

‘I’m still shaken now – I haven’t slept properly for a few nights.’

West Midlands Police said: ‘The parent of the baby have been spoken to and appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure the child is not at any risk.’

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