A MOTHER left her two children alone in their filthy home while she spent nights with her boyfriend, a court was told yesterday.

Magistrates rejected the 34-year-old claims that she had only left them six times and ruled that the brother and sister, both of primary school age, had been abandoned on numerous occasions.

Their judgement came after the defendant gave evidence for the first time yesterday.

The woman's poor care was exposed by her next-door neighbour in Washington, Wearside, who told the court how she finally reported the situation to the authorities.

The neighbour, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Houghton-le-Spring Magistrates' Court: "I knew the children were in the house because I could hear them next door.

"Nearly every single day I saw the mother come back to the house the next morning and get the children ready for school."

At an earlier hearing, the mother, who also cannot be named, admitted two offences of neglecting the children and two of abandoning them. The case was adjourned after the defence questioned the number of times she had left the children overnight.

The mother told the court: "I accept I lied to the police when I was first arrested about where I had spent the night.

"I didn't leave them all the time. My daughter had a mobile phone. If she had needed me she could have contacted me."

Magistrates adjourned the case again for sentencing.