Experience: my car was hijacked with my children inside

'I rushed to lock the doors, but it was too late. I looked at the children – surely, whatever this man wanted, he would change his mind when he saw them?'

There was nothing remarkable about that morning in April 2012. I remember looking over at my children – George was 18 months old at the time, and Grace was two and a half – and thinking they seemed particularly beautiful, I nearly made us late taking a picture of them on my phone.

We left home at 10.30am – I was going to drop the children at nursery before going to Birmingham City University, where I was studying. Outside, there was a light, misty rain. As I got in the car, the rain blurred my view, but I could just make out a figure, rushing along the pavement. Seconds later, it had drawn level and I could see it was a big, tall man. I thought he might need help, and went to wind down the window. But before I managed to do so, he put his hand out to open the car door......

Read the full article as published in the Guardian