A YOUNG mother who left her three children in the care of a schoolgirl while she went on holiday has been warned she could face prison.

Kelly Ann Piggford, also known as Rogerson, pleaded guilty to three charges of child neglect at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The 24-year-old, from Darlington, left her two sons and daughter with the teenager before jetting off to Turkey, a court heard.

While she partied with two friends in the popular resort of Marmaris, her children were staying with the girl in a one-bedroom flat.

Chairman of the bench Clement O'Donovan told Piggford: "The circumstances in which you left your children were wholly unacceptable by any standard.

"As a parent, you have failed in your responsibility to look after your children.

"By your guilty plea you accept your arrangements for your children were inadequate - you just put yourself first. Your children were placed at risk."

He added: "We are not sentencing you today, but instead have asked for a pre-sentence report. The steering we give is for a custodial sentence, because we view these charges as being so serious."

Depending on the outcome of the report, Piggford could still be sentenced at crown court.

The court heard how Piggford had just returned from a holiday in Turkey, on June 6, before jetting off again.

The first time she went on holiday, she took her daughter and left her sons with their father.

But only four days after her return, she booked a second two-week holiday at the same resort with two friends.

Christopher Williamson, prosecuting, said Piggford claimed a former partner had assaulted her, and this was why she was returning to Turkey.

On June 13, she went on her second holiday and the children were left in the one-bedroom flat.

After staying there for three nights, the landlady found out and asked them to leave, saying the situation was inappropriate.

The children were then taken to the house of one of the friends whom Piggford was on holiday with.

Mr Williamson said: "Social services became aware of the problem and attended that property.

"There they found another woman looking after (the friend's) two-year-old daughter, as well as the babysitter and the children of Kelly Rogerson."

The case made national headlines after The Northern Echo reported how police and social services had intervened following complaints by a neighbour.

While on holiday, Piggford gave an interview to a magazine for an undisclosed fee. She said: "You see 13-year-old mothers, so why not have 15-year-old babysitters? I don't understand the fuss."

Despite claims she was trying to catch a flight home, Piggford did not return for another 11 days, when she was arrested by police who met her at Durham Tees Valley Airport.

On her arrival, she gave another magazine interview in which she said: "I will never leave my babies alone again.

"Seeing them has made me feel so guilty, but I promise I will make it up to them and I will always be there in future."

In mitigation, Chris Bunting asked for Piggford's early guilty plea to be taken into account and said her children were well and back in her care.

He said: "This was not a case of abandonment. Clothes and nappies had been left with the babysitter and money was available to buy food.

"The children appeared quite content."

He said social services officers had made visits to Pigg-ford on several occasions since the children were returned to her, and seemed happy with the situation.

Their visits had been regular, but were now happening only once a fortnight.

Piggford will be back at Darlington Magistrates' Court on September 1. Her unconditional bail was extended.

A Darlington resident who lives on the same estate as Piggford, and who did not wish to be named, said: "She doesn't deserve to have the children.

"There are some families who try for years to have children but can't, and then you get people like her."