A baby who trapped his foot under a hot iron was left in agony for two days before his mother took him to hospital, a court was told.

The infant, who suffered serious burns, was not taken for medical treatment because of a previous similar incident six months before, where he injured his neck and chin, a court heard.

His mother let him suffer rather than face questioning by the police or social services and had run the foot under cold water and put cream on it, the court was told.

The mother-of-two, who had twice left the iron where the tot could reach it, lied to the authorities over where she had put it on the second occasion, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The 24-year-old defendant, from Nelson, wiped away tears in the dock as a judge spared her jail after she pleaded guilty to two counts of neglect.

Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Woolman said the mother had been careless with the iron and her real duty on the second occasion had been to take her son to hospital, rather than leaving him to suffer at home. He said the child "must have been in agony."

The judge said that at the time of the offences the defendant, who had no previous convictions, had been in a situation of considerable stress but now the social services were involved in protecting the children, there was no doubt the stress levels would be less.

He said he very much doubted if the situation would be repeated. The judge went on: "A prison sentence will do no good in this situation whatsoever and it seems to me you do need some help."

The mother was given a two year community order with supervision.

Kathryn Johnson, prosecuting, told the court last July the baby, then 10 months old, was taken to hospital, suffering from burns to his face and neck. The defendant said she had left the iron on the floor and the child had crawled towards it. At other times she explained she had left the room and when she returned the baby was crying out, he said. She accepted she did not take the child for treatment as soon as she should have, the court was told.

Miss Johnson said the baby was transferred to Booth Hall Children's Hospital, there were no concerns over it being a non- accidental injury and social services and police were not involved.

The prosecutor said six months later the mother took the infant to Burnley General Hospital. He had extensive and full thickness burns to his left foot. It soon became apparent the defendant had not taken the baby to hospital for two days and the injury must have been extremely painful, she said.

Miss Johnson said the defendant's account was that she had been ironing, turned the iron off, put it on a window sill and heard her son cry out.She said the child had the iron on his foot and must have pulled it off the sill.

Bernadette Baxter, defending, said the children were now living with the defendant's parents across the road and were on the At Risk register.