A MUM who left her four children home alone while she went shopping ended up in a pub getting drunk.

Blackburn magistrates heard police were already at the house when the woman returned home at 11pm driving a car and clearly drunk.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to four charges of child neglect and driving with excess alcohol. She was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and an alcohol treatment requirement.

She was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Suzanne Byrne, prosecuting, said the police were alerted by neighbours who were concerned that the children were crying and had been alone for some time.

They found the children in a distressed state. They said they hadn't eaten for 12 hours but also that it was unusual for them to be left alone.

When the mum returned she told police she had left that afternoon to go shopping but her car broke down and she ended up borrowing her dad's.

The officers suspected she was intoxicated and she gave a breathalyser reading more than double the limit.

"They found very little food in the house but they did find a lot of alcohol," said Miss Byrne.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client had gone to the shop to buy food for the children and when she returned home she had the shopping with her.

"The car broke down and she accepts she went to a public house and stayed out longer than she anticipated," said Mr Price.

He said at the time of the offences his client had been going through a difficult separation from the father of the children but she was now in a much better position.