A routine police job turned into something far more serious when three young children were found "home alone".

The youngsters aged three, 19 months and eight months, were left on their own for about five hours while their parents visited a Bradford restaurant.

The city's crown court heard today how a bedroom door had been tied off on a banister and the children's mother later admitted that was done to stop the youngsters "wandering through the house" if they woke up.

The incident came to light after officers attended the Shahjehan restaurant in Manchester Road because of a problem with a chip and pin card.

Prosecutor Jonathon Gibson said the matter was sorted out and details exchanged, but the couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were later spotted trying to flag down a taxi to their Huddersfield home.

"Because they had no money, as far as the police were aware, they were offered a lift back home," said Mr Gibson.

"When they got back to the vicinity of the house they were reluctant to be taken directly to the address."

Because of the earlier incident the officers wanted to know where the couple lived and eventually they managed to get into the house where they found the two girls and a boy on their own.

Mr Gibson said the house was generally bare and unkempt, with little furniture.

'The children were dirty although they did appear to be well nourished,'' he said.

The couple had left their home at about 9.30pm and the police did not come into contact with them at the restaurant until 2.15am.

The mother initially claimed her sister had been left to look after the children and must have gone home early, but she later admitted leaving them alone in the house.

The couple both pleaded guilty to a charge of neglect and earlier this year the father was jailed for six months.

Yesterday his wife, who is now looking after the children again at an address in the Midlands, received the same prison term, suspended for 18 months.

She will also be subject to supervision for the next 18 months.

Her barrister Neil Clark described the incident as a one-off which happened when his client was subject to the "unpleasant influence" of her husband.

The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, told the woman the offence was a gross breach of her duty of care.

Judge Gullick said the case called for a prison sentence, but given the present circumstances it was not necessary to send the mother to jail immediately.