A mother who kidnapped her children from a child protection unit is being hunted by police in Germany.

Mirjam Naudszus, 35, from Hamburg, lost custody of her children aged two and three after trying to commit suicide in front of them, according to local media.

Police now believe the children are in danger because of their mother’s history of instability.

After the siblings were put into care, Naudszus and her former husband had been allowed to visit them.

But when an online petition to regain custody of the siblings failed, she snatched them from the shelter on 15th March, reports local media.

Police believe she and her ex Enayatullah Azghari, 24, took the children together and are both on the run with them.

A police spokesperson later revealed that an investigation to determine how the mother succeeded to kidnap the children is underway.

Hamburg Police said in a statement obtained by Newsflash on Wednesday (15th March): “The police are using photos to search for a 35-year-old woman from Altona, who today illegally withdrew her two small children from the care of a child protection facility.

“The Harburg Criminal Police Office (LKA 181) is conducting the investigation.

The police have asked members of the public with any information on their whereabouts to contact them.