A mother has been offered compensation by the AA after the organisation refused to help rescue her trapped baby.

Nicola Millar, 36, of Westward Road in Chingford, was left in tears on Monday afternoon after her 17-month-old daughter Violet was locked inside her car for up to 45 minutes.

The mother-of-one had been shopping at Morrisons in Chingford Mount Road when she locked her car by accident while trying to fold up a pram.

Mrs Millar was told by the police she had two options, the police could come and smash her window or she could call the AA.

Mrs Millar called the AA but was told unless she paid the £150 membership fee to join on the spot, the firm wouldn't help.

The AA has now offered Mrs Millar complimentary full annual breakdown cover.

A spokesman for the AA said: "We finished investigating it and the call handler who took the call was new to the team and, unfortunately, didn’t flag it up to a manager, as should have happened.

"We would like to apologise to Nicola Millar for the distress caused and offer her complimentary AA membership so that she is covered whatever the circumstances."

After 45 painstaking minutes, Mrs Millar, in tears, asked 57 year-old passer-by James King, from Walthamstow, to smash the rear passenger window of her Ford Focus C-Max.

"I called the AA because I didn't want to smash the window in case my daughter got hurt, but I was left with no other choice.

"I had every intention of paying, all I wanted was to get my daughter out of the car."

Mrs Millar has accepted the complimentary membership worth £190 and hopes that she will never have to deal with a similar siutation again.

"I'm slightly upset they blamed it on a new employee, but my daughter is safe and I never want to go through that commotion again."