A five-month-old baby girl has been found “safe and well” following a car hijacking in Dublin.

Irish police said they had “serious concerns that there is an immediate and serious risk to the health or welfare” of the girl and issued an urgent Child Rescue Ireland (CRI) alert just before 4pm on Monday.

The car, a silver Nissan Qashqai hatchback, had last been seen prior to the alert in Mountjoy Square in the capital’s city centre at around 1.50pm on Monday.

Gardai said the car was hijacked by a man who was not known the girl or her family.

Members of the public were asked not to approach the vehicle and were instead instructed to report any information or sighting by calling 999 or 112.

Shortly before 4.20pm, gardai cancelled the CRI alert and announced that she had been found “safe and well in Dublin City Centre”.

They added: “We would like to thank the public and media for their assistance.”