A mother was horrified when her tot undid his car seat and crawled out as she drove along a busy motorway.
Sue Steward, 33, was driving to Lakeside along the A13 believing Arron, 20 months old, was safely strapped in his car seat in the back.
Terror set in when she looked in her driver's mirror and saw Arron standing on the back seat.
Mrs Steward, of the Greensted, Basildon, said: "I was scared because there was nowhere to stop unless I pulled over on to the hard shoulder. I was screaming at Arron to sit in his seat.
"If my son can get out of it how easily could a child twice his age?"
Mrs Steward claims Arron has since undone the car seat several times.
Mrs Steward took the Safety Baby car seat back to Toys R Us in Basildon where she bought it when Arron was a baby about 18 months ago.
The company which distributes the car seat, Consolidated Nursery Holdings of Hertfordshire, has said it wants to carry out its own safety inspection.
A spokesman for Toys R Us, said: "Safety is our first concern and we will get the seat inspected by the manufacturers. Under normal circumstances such goods are guaranteed under a one-year warranty but in this case we are happy to offer an exchange or credit note."
Great escaper - Arron Steward and mum, Sue
Picture: ANDY PALMER
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article