Holiday mother 'abandoned children'

A mother left her 13-year-old son to care for his younger brothers and sisters while she went off on holiday with her boyfriend, a court was told.

The 44-year-old woman, from Ham in south-west London, left her five young children to go to the Canary Islands for a week, Kingston Crown Court heard.

Four of the children, aged five to 13, were left with the mother of her nine-year-old daughter's friend for one night.

The mother said her sister would pick them from school the next day.

You may conclude that her desire for a holiday with her boyfriend was such that she disregarded the welfare of her children Philip Bennetts, prosecuting

But prosecutor Philip Bennetts told the court: "There was no such arrangement with her sister.

"Her sister was ill. She (the mother) left the children at home with her eldest child to look after the family, while she went off to catch the plane to Gran Canaria."

An 11-year-old son was left with one of his school friends' mothers, a registered childminder, who grew concerned about the other children's welfare, the court heard.

After trying to call their mother, she and the other parent informed the children's head teacher.

Social services and the police were told, and the mother was arrested on 3 March as she arrived back at Gatwick.

Mr Bennetts told the jury: "You may conclude that her (the mother's) desire for a holiday with her boyfriend was such that she disregarded the welfare of her children, abandoning them while she left, with no arrangements as to their care or welfare."

The woman denies four charges of cruelty towards a person under 16.