When police got a call about a baby left locked inside a hot car, they knew there was no time to waste.

Lt. Jason Short of Keene Police in Vermont smashed the window, pulled out the tiny "lifeless" figure and began CPR.

That's when he noticed that something seemed amiss.

"I went to put my finger in its mouth and it was all resistance," he told local news station WMUR9.

"And I'm like, 'This is a doll.'"

The incident has caused a certain amount of red faces all around.

The apparent 'infant' was in fact a "reborn" doll - figures carefully sculpted to resemble real babies.

It was owned by a woman named Carolynne Seiffert, who has collected around 40 of the figures to cope with the death of her son.

She told local news that she was unhappy over the police actions, and has since reportedly been promised $300 to cover the damage to her car.

"I do understand the situation I put them in, but I believe they could have done things differently," she told the Union Leader newspaper.

However Lt Short said he had no regrets over his actions and would do the same again.

"If you're willing to take the doll out in the car, be willing to take it into the store," he said to the local station.

"That would be the only advice I have. Or leave it at home."