Kids left 100km from home | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

A mother was left "extremely distressed" after leaving her two children behind at a Masterton public toilet, and driving almost 100km home to Porirua before realising they were missing.

Masterton police said the woman had stopped at the toilets in Queen Elizabeth Park about 10pm on Sunday, on her way home from a holiday in Hastings.

Senior Sergeant Carolyn Watson said the woman was unaware her son, 10, and daughter, 6, had got out of the vehicle while she was in the toilets.

The women then got back into the van and drove home, thinking the two children were still in the back seat asleep.

She had driven almost 100km home to Porirua before going to unpack and discovering they weren't there.

"She was extremely distressed and distraught and phoned the police immediately," said Ms Watson.

Meanwhile, two girls had seen the children on the street and taken them to the police station, where they were looked after.

The mother immediately drove from Porirua to Masterton to collect them.

Ms Watson said the kids were fine, but described the incident as a "mother's worst nightmare", and stressed no charges would be laid.

"Police are more interested in providing her support for what would have been a horrific incident," she said.

Police have arranged Victim Support to provide assistance to the mother.

"To be honest, it's something that could happen to anybody. I'm a mother myself and I know how horrifying that would be for her."

Ms Watson said police would like to thank the girls, whose identities were not known, who had taken the children to the station.

Do you know the girls who found the children? Email editor@age.co.nz, or phone 06 370 0928.