A Gold Coast father is facing serious child cruelty charges for allegedly leaving his three young children alone in a car overnight.

The man, who remains unnamed, was found highly intoxicated at a pub after abandoning his children in a vehicle parked outside a 7-Eleven.

Due to concerns about the risk of reoffending, the man was denied bail.

The children, aged three, five, and six, were discovered by a passerby the next morning after being left unattended for approximately 12 hours without access to basic necessities.

The father's criminal record includes drug, weapon, and domestic violence offenses.

The case is set to be mentioned in court on September 4 for child cruelty charges and August 5 for other offenses.

Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding why the children were left alone in the car, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.