A married couple in France have been charged with child abuse after a baby girl was found living in the boot of a car.

The child - who's aged between 15 and 23 months old - was discovered by mechanics in Terrasson who heard "bizarre noises" and complained of a strong smell after a woman brought her car to a garage for repairs.

The girl's mother and her partner were arrested on Sunday.

John Litchfield, Paris Correspondent with the London Independent, told Newstalk's Pat Kenny the child was found in a bad state:

Garage Director Denis Latour describes what he saw "The child was naked. On the side there was a crib and an unbearable smell. The baby girl was laying on bags of rubbish in the boot of the car."

Pictured above, the picturesque north Dordogne valley town of Terrasson