A court has sentenced a couple to 14 months in prison after their four children, all under five, were found living in appalling conditions in a house in Leyland, Lancashire. The parents admitted four counts of child neglect at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday.
Police discovered the children by chance while searching for another individual. Officers were left retching by the overpowering stench inside the property. They found the children dirty, dishevelled, and inadequately dressed, with one baby in a bouncer just two feet from a halogen heater, wearing only a nappy. A screaming girl was trapped under a bed frame in a room full of faeces and flies. Two toddlers were in a bedroom with faeces smeared on walls, open soiled nappies, and dirty bedding.
The kitchen contained no food, so officers bought food for the children. All four had temperatures and skin conditions and were taken to hospital. Judge Mark Brown described the situation as a “deplorable and appalling state of affairs” and noted the parents’ “complete indifference” to their children's welfare.
The judge also questioned Lancashire County Council's handling of the case, noting that the children had been returned to their parents after the initial discovery in October 2015. Amanda Hatton, the council’s director of children’s services, explained that the family court had overruled their recommendation for permanent placement outside the home, and the council was now working with extended family to ensure the children's safety.
Detective Constable Lee Bradshaw-Wood of Lancashire Police said the parents displayed “an abject failure to provide basic care” for their young children. Defending the father, Philip Boyd described him as an “inadequate young man” who tried to handle difficulties alone. Mark Stewart, defending the mother, said she was embarrassed and in a poor mental state.
