Mum headbutted her 10-year-old son

She also allowed her sons, aged 10, nine and five, to run wild out of her sight and on roads in front of traffic, a court heard.

The 36-year-year old Blackpool mum, who can not be identified for legal reasons, admitted one offence of assault on a 10-year-old boy and three offences of child cruelty relating to the 10-year-old and his nine- and five-year-old brothers.

District Judge Alexandra Simmonds, sitting at Blackpool Magistrates Court, told her: “Your actions exposed your children to danger. They were inappropriately dressed and were running wild, even on the road.”

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said the defendant was seen leaving a Blackpool hostel she was staying at with the three children on September 25 at 8.20pm. She had a bottle of Pimms under her arm and took the boys to watch a fireworks display on the Promenade.

At 10pm she was seen taking the boys, who were inappropriately dressed for the weather, to a McDonalds. CCTV from the restaurant showed the mum was extremely drunk, staggering and weaving about with the half-full bottle of Pimms under her arm.

The boys were running about the car park area and in front of drive-through traffic at the restaurant.

The eldest boy was seen holding up the receipt to his mother, knocking her hat off. She then headbutted him in the face knocking him to the floor. He got up put his hands out and then ran out of the restaurant.

Police were alerted and when their mother was arrested the children became hysterical and had to be comforted. The children were now in foster care. When interviewed she said she had not previously had a drink for two months.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending, said her client, who had no previous convictions, had had a difficult life and fled to the resort from an abusive partner.

She had been extremely distressed about what she had done. She had taken it as a wake-up call.

She was sentenced to 10 weeks’ prison suspended for 12 months, told to do up to 40 days’ rehabilitation, undertake a drug education course and ordered to pay a £180 court charge with £85 costs.