Road users were left gobsmacked after seeing an 'appalling irresponsible' driver weaving through traffic with a young girl lying across the parcel shelf of the car.
The child, believed to be around six years old, was spotted lying sprawled out on the ledge covering the boot of a red Volkswagen Polo driven in Canterbury, Kent, last Thursday.
Another road user was so incredulous that she photographed the incident and posted a picture online. Police have now launched a hunt for the driver.
The photo, showing the blonde girl wearing a red top and green and white dress, was taken by concerned local Sam MacDonald, who posted it on the Spotted in Canterbury Facebook page.
Amazingly, the driver didn't even appear to think twice about zooming along the road with their daughter in such a precarious position - even speeding past Canterbury Police Station.
Sam wrote next to the photo: "A child laying on the parcel shelf!!!"
Organisers of the Facebook page replied: "Wow... that's scary. Straight out the front window if the car breaks hard."
A spokesman for Kent Police said: "To drive a car while a child is on a parcel shelf is both illegal and dangerous.
"Drivers are required by law to ensure that all children under the age of 12 use an approved car booster seat if they are under 135cm tall and the driver and all passengers must fasten their seatbelts.
"The photograph will be passed on to the neighbourhood policing team so they can make further enquiries."
Siobhan MacMahon, of road safety charity Brake, said: "Letting a child ride unrestrained in a vehicle is appallingly irresponsible. Drivers have a responsibility to keep passengers and other road users safe, especially children."