Boy, 7, speaks out about his TEN HOUR ordeal after a thief stole his parents' car from their driveway while he was asleep in the back – and how he raised the alarm 18km from home

A brave seven-year-old boy has told of his 10-hour ordeal after a thief stole his parents' car while he was asleep in the back. 

Joseph Eaton, from Perth, was driven 18km from his home Morley by the thief who stole the car from his driveway at around 8.40pm on Saturday.

The family were only reunited ten hours later when Joseph woke up at around 5.45am, in Forrestfield, and knocked on a resident's door.

Speaking about the ordeal on Sunday, mum Rose Hsieh, explained that Joseph had dozed off after the family had been on a day trip to a small fishing village.  

Joseph Eaton, 7, safely in the arms of his mother, Rose Hsieh, on Sunday. Joseph woke up in the back seat of his family's Pajero to find a thief driving him away

His brother Ben, five, had been sick and Ms Hsieh had run into the house to clean him up. 

She left the key in the ignition of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Joseph in the back seat.    

She was only gone for a few seconds when she heard a noise outside, and ran out to find the car with her sleeping son inside vanishing down the road with the engine revving.

Neighbour Valentina Andriko heard Ms Hsieh's panicked screams.  

'It was like 8.30pm and I heard some car pressing the gas, really revving, and then screaming from a woman and a man,' Ms Andriko told the West Australian.

Joseph's mother had left the keys in the ignition of the white Mitsubishi Pajero Sports to rush inside with her other son Ben, who was ill. At that moment a thief stole the car. Pictured: stock image of the car model

Joseph remained calm until the thief dumped the car in Forrestfield. He then knocked on a door for help

Inside the car, Joseph was still asleep, unaware a desperate manhunt had begun with friends, family and police searching for the missing boy.

At some point during the journey as the car sped down a highway, he woke up to see a thief at the wheel, taking him far away from his family.

He remained calm and said nothing.

'I stayed in the car until they parked it and then I knocked on somebody's door,' he told 7News after being safely reunited with his family. 

He said the thief was white with brown hair and blue eyes and had only looked back at him once.

Joseph said another car, a Holden SUV, had followed his mother's car.

The thief had stopped the car and got out to talk to the driver behind.  

The car was dumped outside a house in Northumberland Road almost 20km from Joseph's home.

Joseph thinks the car thief was picked up by another person.

He waited until the thief had gone and then got out of the car and knocked on the door of the nearest house to ask for help.   

Detectives would like to speak with anyone who saw a white Mitsubishi Pajero Sports in the Morley area. Pictured: Police at Napier Street, where the car went missing

The property's stunned residents immediately called the police and the boy was reunited with his distraught mother.

Ms Hsieh said she just wanted to make sure her boy was OK.

He was very sleepy, he didn’t realise what was going on. He really me very impressed. In emergencies, they have to be calm and cool,' she told the West Australian.

Police  are now hunting for the car thief who remains at large, and his alleged accomplice.

CCTV footage from outside the family's home has provided a valuable lead, showing a hooded man walking along the street and then moments later the family's Pajero driving away.

Detectives would like to speak with anyone who may have seen a Mitsubishi Pajero Sports area about 8.30pm on Saturday night, or in the Forrestfield area about 5am Sunday morning. 

Anyone with dash-cam footage, or other information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at crimestopperswa.com.au.