A father chased down and beat to death a thief who stole a car with his children inside, US police have said.

Bystanders also joined in the attack on the 54-year-old man, who later died in hospital of head injuries, said detectives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Three young children – aged seven months, 18 months, and five years old – were in the Hyundai when the carjacker stole it on Thursday evening.

Their mother had left the car running as she went into a pizza takeaway where her boyfriend – who is the father of the two younger children – was working at 9pm local time.

As the woman was speaking to her partner, the thief climbed into the car and drove off.

The parents, both aged 25, ran after the car, which became stuck in traffic nearby.

“They were able to pull this car thief out of the vehicle,” chief inspector Scott Small, of the Philadelphia Police Department, told local television station WPVI.

[link to www.yahoo.com (secure)]