TWO children have suffered a catalogue of cruelty in a house filled with drugs, faeces and rubbish. The two girls, aged two and eight, were burned

TWO children have suffered a catalogue of cruelty in a house filled with drugs, faeces and rubbish.

The two girls, aged two and eight, were burned with cigarettes and neglected for more than seven months before someone reported it to the police.

When officers arrived they found the two-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, dressed in clothing too big for her and with dirty feet and no shoes.

In the kitchen of the house, police discovered syringes, rotting food and dirty dishes in the sink which had been left for several days. In the toilet they found faeces inside and around the bowl.

In an upstairs bedroom, syringes, a samurai sword and an air rifle were found and in a wardrobe foil tins and syringes used for heroin were discovered.

The children were taken by social services immediately. The two-year-old was examined and doctors discovered a pink area on her arm caused by a cigarette lighter. She was also lagging behind in language skills.

The eight-year-old girl had a brown mark on the right side of her neck below her jaw where a cigarette had burned her. She also had a bad case of head lice and said she had not been to the dentist in a long time.

Lisa Faulkner, aged 28, of Hans Price Close, Weston pleaded guilty to two charges of cruelty to children, one charge of causing fear of violence and one charge of criminal damage at North Somerset Courthouse on Friday.

The fear of violence charge and criminal damage relate to an incident in which Faulkner approached a house, shouted at the occupants and kicked the front door after residents started talking about the fact she might have been neglecting children.

Shane Lewis, defending said: "The plea was entered on the basis that this was a reckless action and not deliberate. It is neglect rather than cruelty.

"The cigarette burn was an accident.

"Lisa accepts the state of the house was not fit for children and is now in recovery for using drugs.

A tenant owned the air rifle, sword and syringes and no longer lives at the address.

"She is now on a drugs programme and is providing clean samples."

Faulkner was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 80 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £50 compensation.