Mother who left her children alone for three weeks after flying abroad escapes prosecution

Woman was originally arrested on suspicion of child neglect in February

The woman was arrested on her return to Heathrow Airport (Getty Images)

A woman who left her two children at home for three weeks when she made a trip abroad has escaped prosecution.

The unnamed mother, who lives in Salford, Greater Manchester, was arrested on suspicion of child neglect upon her return to Heathrow Airport in February following a trip to attend a family wedding in Nigeria.

Greater Manchester Police has now confirmed that while the woman received a police caution she will not face prosecution, reports the Manchester Evening News.

It is understood that her children, one of whom is under the age of ten, were left to fend for themselves in their mother’s absence and continued to attend school.

A police statement from the GMP issued at the time of the woman’s arrest said: “A woman has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect. The female was arrested having re-entered the country in February 2015. The female has been bailed for further enquiries.

“Two children are now in the care of the local authority. It is believed that the female left the UK in mid-January.”

The MEN reported that the children are believed to have been discovered with no food left and no heating in an ‘unkempt’ house.

The children are understood to have been returned to their mother’s care following a period in foster care, with a spokesperson for the local council telling the Daily Mail that they are continuing to work with the family.