A mother left her two-year-old son at home and in the ‘care’ of his seven-year-old brother whilst she went to work, a court heard.

It was only a chance visit to the Fenland home by a teacher than uncovered the 'home alone' nightmare.

The two-year-old had soiled himself, Cambridge Crown Court was told, and later inquiries revealed that his older brother regularly went to school without first having had breakfast.

The catalogue of neglect - that was uncovered nearly four years - has only now come before the court.

The court heard that the woman, who is in her 30s, would go to work or to other appointments at various times of the day, leaving the boys, aged seven and two, without supervision.

On September 25, 2015, representatives from the seven-year-old's school attended his home in Fenland following concerns about his attendance.

They found the boy and his younger brother, who had soiled himself, at home without support.

Following conversations with the elder boy it was discovered the mother used to regularly leave them unsupervised, sometimes in the evening.

The boy also disclosed he regularly went without breakfast and on the day of the visit had gone to a local shop, purchased a burger and cooked it unsupervised.

Yesterday ( August 22) at Cambridge Crown Court the mother was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for a year, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of doing an act of cruelty to a child.

DC Diane Booth said: "Due to the actions of the teachers in this case we were able to safeguard these children and ensure they did not come to further harm.

"The mother showed a complete lack of regard for the safety of her children as she left them for long periods of time to fend for themselves without supervision.

"We all have a responsibility to protect children in our communities. I'd encourage anyone who is concerned about the welfare of a child to report it."

Anyone who is concerned for a child's welfare should call 101 or visit www.cambs.police.uk/report.

Editor's note: Under the strict guidelines of UK law we are not allowed to identify the town or school involved in this case or to reveal the identity of the parent.