A mother who left her two young children at home alone while she went on holiday for three weeks has escaped with just a police caution.
She left the children, one under the age of ten, to fend for themselves at home in Salford, Greater Manchester, and flew abroad to attend a wedding in Nigeria in January this year.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of child neglect when she returned in February and the children were placed with foster parents.
The woman, from Salford, was arrested on suspicion of child neglect at Heathrow Airport (pictured) but have escaped with just a police caution
It is understood they continued to go to school while she was away – but when officers visited the house, they found it in an unkempt condition with no food, heating or gas.
But Greater Manchester Police confirmed the woman has been given a police caution, but will not face prosecution.
The mother had not intended to return until later in February, but came home early after being alerted that police and children’s services officers were investigating.
She was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on February 15 and questioned before being bailed.
Both children were initially placed in foster care, but it is understood they have now been returned to their mother.
A spokeswoman for the council said: ‘We are continuing to work with the family.’
In a statement issued by GMP at the time, they said: ‘A woman has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect.
‘The female was arrested having re-entered the country in February 2015.’
A police spokesman confirmed to MailOnline: ‘She was arrested on suspicion of child neglect and later cautioned.’
Social experiment: Children let strangers in home (related)
HOME ALONE: A PARENT IS ARRESTED EVERY DAY FOR LEAVING CHILDREN UNSUPERVISED
Last year, a pregnant mother told her six children she was going to the supermarket – but then flew to Australia for a six-week holiday with a boyfriend she met online.
The 43-year-old woman effectively left a son aged 14 in charge of his siblings and took off to the other side of the world on New Year’s Day.
Police were alerted when the teenager called his grandparents, who dialled 999, and the mother was arrested when she flew back into the UK in February.
The woman, formerly of Birmingham, walked free from court with a suspended sentence after admitting six counts of wilful abandonment.
Another mother who left her teenage daughter with a freezer full of pizza and oven chips for six weeks while she flew off to visit her toyboy abroad also escaped prison in 2008.
The woman left her 14-year-old daughter £100 to live on and was found guilty of neglect after a two day trial.
But she received a suspended sentence of 13 weeks’ custody and was ordered to do 130 hours unpaid work and pay £450 costs.
In 2012, a mother who left her baby daughter unsupervised with nothing but a plate of crisps walked free from court after a judge declared the child was ‘well fed’.
The 20-month-old toddler had been left locked in a flat all day with crisps and a bottle of juice, while the mother went to work.
The woman admitted child cruelty, but received a suspended sentence.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that a parent is arrested every day on suspicion of leaving one or more of their children at home alone.
At least 105 mothers and fathers faced criminal investigations for leaving their children unsupervised in the final three months of last year.
Cases involved children aged from just a few weeks to 14 years old.
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