Andrea Ward, from Tottington, was discovered to have left a "crying" baby strapped in a car seat at her home while she went out for 25 minutes with other children, according to court proceedings.

A parent, who was left "shocked" after asking Ward about the whereabouts of her child, spotted this neglect.

The 62 year old had been operating a childminding business in the town and had been a childminder for 29 years, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard on Thursday (May 1). Prosecutor Lisa Boocock stated: "She came, certainly as these parents were concerned, highly recommended."

However, her neglect began to unravel when one of the babies' parents saw Ward on the street with three children, two in a buggy and one walking, the court heard. The mother questioned where her child was and was "shocked" when Ward responded that the baby was at home with her daughter, Ms Boocock said.

The mother was unaware of the defendant's daughter and had not given consent for the daughter to care for the child, the court heard. The mother insisted on going to the defendant's home, the M.E.N. reported, according to Lancs Live.

However, the daughter was in the shower and Ward confessed that she had left the baby alone, although she claimed it was only for five minutes, Ms Boocock said. The defendant admitted to the court that she faced challenges as children were 'slipping around'.

Ward was taken into custody after a frank admission to the police when they arrived, saying, "I'm going to hold my hands up and admit it." She owned up to making a 'stupid error'.

During her police interview, Ward also admitted to potentially leaving the baby unattended on another occasion the previous week. This initiated further investigation by the police, revealing that not only had the baby been left alone for around 25 minutes instead of just five, but Ward had also neglected two other infants.

In court, the child’s distraught mother testified to how dependent her baby was on Ward's care, stating her little one was 'completely and utterly reliant'. Emotional words poured out as she stressed the sheer value of a child's life, pointing out how deeply affected her baby must have been, fully cognisant that 'no-one was answering her cries'.

Amid tears, she spoke of the 'unimaginable risk' to which her baby was exposed, noting the added danger posed by being restrained in a car seat during Ward’s absence and a dog inside the house. The ordeal made her feel 'physically sick', she confessed.

She said the neglect had happened 'on more than one occasion' and that Ward had 'repeatedly lied' about her behaviour. Describing it as 'the stuff of nightmares', she recounted the lasting impact on her infant, who now associates distress with the car seat – a poignant 'reminder' of the trauma.

The mother of a second infant Ward neglected, aged around 15 months at the time, told the court: "She promised us she would never make him feel abandoned, yet she did exactly that."

Another distraught mum of a third baby, merely eight months old during the period of neglect, expressed her sense of betrayal, saying she 'felt betrayed as I genuinely trusted her'.

The mother said she accepted at first the defendant's claim that it was a 'genuine one off mistake' but now believes her baby had been left 'screaming' on his own. "That breaks my heart," she said, describing the defendant's conduct as 'disgusting'. Ward, she said, was 'not remorseful' and had 'lied to my face', she said.

Daniel Caulder, defending, said: "Nothing I say is intended to minimise nor to excuse and certainly not to justify the shameful criminal behaviour of Andrea Ward." The barrister said his client had used the word 'shameful' in a letter to the judge.

"She feels ashamed of what she's done and ashamed of a gross betrayal of trust she's perpetrated not only against the parents who trusted their child into her care but a betrayal of children who cannot speak for themselves," said Mr Caulder.

He went on that his client apologised to the parents but she was not expecting them to accept her apology.

After 22 years of marriage, two daughters, and a grandchild on the way, the barrister revealed his client had left childminding for a 'customer services' role, vowing never to return to her former profession.

Judge Jason MacAdam told the defendant the parents were 'right to feel betrayed' and were 'responsible hard-working people'.

The judge remarked: "Most of us in this room of a certain age have had children and we all know the difficulties of having young children and balancing work and life."

Judge MacAdam said the defendant had 'put convenience and prioritised your own needs above the welfare of the children you care for', adding that she had 'downplayed' her behaviour to the parents and 'betrayed their trust'.

Ward, of Bury Road in Tottington, who has no previous convictions, was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended 24 months for after she admitted three charges of child neglect.

She was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £150 towards prosecution costs.