Adult carers left five children and a kangaroo joey locked in hot car while they drank in pub

Police have broken into a car to rescue five children and a kangaroo joey while their adult carers were allegedly drinking inside a pub in central Australia. The children were freed unharmed, but by the time police opened the car the joey had died.

Alice Springs Watch Commander Chris Wilson said passersby alerted officers to the children trapped inside the car about 1:30pm on Tuesday in the hotel's car park. The temperature in Alice Springs was hovering around 40 degrees Celsius at the time.



"It was alleged the children were playing roughly with the joey," Commander Wilson said. "Upon attendance, police located five children aged between two and 13 years who had been left in the car for over two hours. The children were checked by St John Ambulance staff while the two adults looking after the kids were located inside the licensed premises."

Commander Wilson said the children were not injured "but had they been left much longer, this event may have had a far worse ending". Police said the Department of Children and Families was conducting an investigation into the children's welfare. Animal Welfare staff were also called. Commander Wilson said the incident was a timely reminder that leaving children and animals in hot cars was not safe.