A woman who left her dog inside a car during a record-breaking heatwave was given a stern telling-off by police officers who smashed her window to rescue the animal. The incident occurred in a car park near Brent Cross shopping centre in north-west London, where concerned members of the public alerted authorities after spotting the dog panting inside a parked Volvo at a Tesco Extra car park.
Police forced entry to save the dog
Unable to find the owner, officers decided to smash the window as there was no time to wait. The Metropolitan Police said they were called to the car park at around 11:05am following calls about the dog. 'Officers made efforts to identify the owner, but these attempts were unsuccessful,' a statement said. 'Due to the hot weather and the time elapsed, police forced entry to the car and removed the dog for its safety.'
Footage shared online shows the dog being taken out of the vehicle before the officer confronts the owner. 'You left your dog to suffer. It's not on,' he can be heard telling her. 'I don't know why you are leaving your dog unattended even for a few minutes, especially in this heat. We've had to come down and force entry into your vehicle because members of the public were concerned for your dog due to the way it's breathing. It's panicking. It's obviously panicking because it's hot inside. Did you not think to check on your dog or bring it inside on a leash?'
Heatwave ties 1976 record
The incident comes as forecasters revealed that Britain has now had as many 30°C days in 2026 as it did in the infamous year of 1976. The Met Office said temperatures reached 30.1°C in Hurn, Dorset, on Monday, marking the ninth consecutive day that somewhere in the UK has exceeded the 30°C mark.
Animal welfare charities have warned that the temperature inside a parked car on a warm day can become fatal for dogs within minutes. The RSPCA advises owners to never leave their pets unattended in vehicles when temperatures are warm. 'Police later reunited the dog with its owner and provided advice and guidance to prevent a similar incident from happening again. There will be no further action,' the Metropolitan Police added.
