When officers went to his home, in the Fishwick area of Preston, in the early hours of the morning they discovered a six-year-old and nine-year-old alone in the property.

The 32-year-old defendant, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his children, admitted two charges of child neglect when he appeared at Preston Crown Court.

He told officers that he had left the children during the evening in March to go to a party.

Later he had checked on them, but when at the party he had smoked cannabis as well as drinking, said prosecutor Rosalind Emsley-Smith.
He apologised for leaving the children, who were sent to stay with their grandparents after they were found.

The court was told the suspected burglary took place the day after the defendant had been placed on a curfew. However, following further enquiries, police have dropped charges relating to the burglary, the court was told.

Sharon Watson, for the defendant, told the court that as soon as he was arrested he knew he had to confess to police about his home-alone children.

"He knew he was admitting a serious offence, but he chose to do the right thing and put his children first," she added.

The defendant now claimed to have left the children initially with an "under-age" babysitter, although he admits he always knew the babysitter could not stay late.

Miss Watson said the children had not been traumatised and were allowed to stay with him after his release from the police station.

Judge Christopher Cornwall said he would not sentence the defendant until he received further information from the social services department, on September 22.

He granted the defendant bail, but warned him a prison sentence was still a possible outcome.