A MOTHER-of-four who had cannabis plants in her attic told police her children had found the plants and they were growing them, a court was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Gail Talbot, 39, was seen on her knees by police next to her bed when they raided her Bacup home last October. Her face was six inches above some silver foil and she later admitted she had been smoking a crack pipe.

Officers also found bags of cocaine, a knife with drugs on it, scales, a knife blade and nine deals of heroin worth £90.

Talbot, said to be a good mother despite her drug habit, was spared jail, after admitting permitting her premises to be used for producing cannabis and possessing 1.6 grammes of heroin.

Talbot, of Alma Street, Bacup, was given a 12 month community order with a nine month drug rehabilitation requirement and 12 months supervision.

David Macro, prosecuting, told the court police went to the defendant's home where she lived with her partner and sons. The youngest child was in bed at the time.

An officer went into the main bedroom and immediately saw the defendant on her knees. In the attic police found six cannabis plants. Talbot was questioned and admitted the heroin was for herself and her partner. She said they would spend £100 a week between them and she bagged ithe drugs up into smaller amounts for easy taking. She said she and her partner got £140 a week each on benefits.

Mr Macro said Talbot claimed the cannabis plants had been brought into the house the day before by her children who found them in the street. She said the youngsters had put them in the attic and they had got heat lamps and were growing them. Talbot had a record going back to 1987.

Keith Harrison, defending, said there were no drugs trafficking elements in the offence. He said :"She's a woman who needs help."

The barrister said despite the defendant's obvious difficulties with heroin she had been a good parent. He continued:" Were she to go to custody today the family would be disrupted."