The drug addict daughter of Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar has admitted killing her two-year-old son.

Samaya Rafiq, also known as Lorraine Dunbar, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to the manslaughter of Harris Dunbar by gross neglect.

She also admitted four charges of child cruelty by causing or allowing him to ingest drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methadone and a sedative. Prosecutor Andrew Robertson, QC, told the court that Rafiq, 28, had admitted killing her own child unlawfully, against a background of neglect covering a period of months.

Mr Robertson said she had pleaded guilty to the cruelty charges relating to methadone and the sedative, dothiopin, on the basis of allowing the child access to the drugs to ingest, and allowing him to come into contact with heroin and cocaine by means of passive smoking. Harris, who had been on the child protection register, was living with his mother at a refuge for homeless women in Allerton Road, Bradford, at the time of his death, on July 16 last year. The refuge was run by a voluntary organisation but social services had been involved with the family.

The court heard Rafiq had been a victim of abuse and a drug addict since the age of 11.

After yesterday's hearing, the senior detective who led the investigation said the death of any child was tragic and this had been an "incredibly tragic case."

Detective Superintendent Tim Forber, of West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: "Harris Dunbar was a two-year-old boy who deserved to be brought up in a safe environment.

"His mother, Samaya Rafiq, led a chaotic lifestyle due to her addiction to illegal drugs. However, she has admitted responsibility for causing the death of her child against a background of wilful neglect."

Det Supt Forber said nobody had suggested Rafiq had given heroin to the child, but he had been exposed to it while she had been taking drugs.

Rafiq had previously pleaded not guilty to two charges of manslaughter and four of child cruelty and had been due to stand trial yesterday.

But her barrister, Mukhtar Hussain, QC, asked for five of the charges to be put to her again.

Slim Rafiq, who was dressed in black trousers, white blouse and black jacket and wore her hair in a ponytail, looked emotional in the dock and spoke quietly as she pleaded guilty.

The cruelty charges alleged she wilfully ill-treated Harris, between January and July last year, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury.

Mr Robertson said the prosecution would offer no evidence, when sentencing was completed, on an alternative charge of manslaughter through an unlawful act.

Mr Hussain asked for sentencing to be adjourned for reports and said the defendant had a background of "self-harm, exposure from a very young age to abuse."

He said she had been exposed to various incidents that had led to her being a drug addict from about 11.

The judge, Mr Justice McKinnon, adjourned sentencing for six weeks for probation, psychological and other reports from a bail hostel, where she had been detained, and New Hall women's prison, where she has been held since June. She was remanded in custody.

Bradford Council declined to comment on the case but had previously confirmed that social services had been involved with the family and the boy had been on the child protection register.

Andrea Dunbar wrote the controversial play Rita, Sue and Bob, Too which was made into a feature film. She died, aged 29, from a brain haemorrhage in 1992.