A mother who left her two children in conditions "unfit for a dog" while spending time with her lover was spared jail yesterday for the sake of her new baby.

The woman, who cannot be named, left the boy and girl, both under 11, in a house found to be unfit for human habitation.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the 34-year-old would leave her home, in Washington, at 7.45pm and not return until 7am on schooldays and later on weekends.

Andrew Rutter, prosecuting, said it was impossible to describe the state of the property where the youngsters, who have now been taken into care, were living.

Judge Beatrice Bolton said: "I find it very difficult to remember a case where I have seen much worse.

"I don't know where they were supposed to sleep, in fact I don't know where they were meant to sit down. No one would have left a dog in those conditions."

The court heard how environmental health inspectors said the premises were unfit for human habitation.

After her arrest, the woman initially could not comprehend there was anything wrong in leaving her children home alone.

She later admitted four charges of cruelty to a child. Two related to the abandonment of them while she went to stay with her lover - who thought her children were with a babysitter - and two to the state of the house.

She initially admitted leaving them alone on six occasions, but magistrates at an earlier hearing found it was many more.

Christopher Prince, mitigating, said the children were fed and taken to bed before being left.

He said that the woman has had a child with her partner, who she is now living with.

Judge Bolton sentenced her to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years with a two-year suspended sentence supervision order.

She told her: "Most people would not even have left a dog for that length of time and certainly no one would have left a dog in those conditions - but you left your two children."

Judge Bolton said she suspended the prison sentence for the sake of the baby needing a mother.