SOCIAL service chiefs were under fire today after a mother was found drunk while looking after her 20-month-old son -- only months after a similar incident involving a toddler.

Joanne Chambers was so drunk that she collapsed in the toilets at Morrisons, in Blackburn, a court was told.

When police arrested the 21-year-old they did not realise that she had left her baby son Keiran with fellow drinkers on Blackburn Boulevard, magistrates heard.

When officers found the tot he was in a distressed state.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, told Blackburn magistrates that Keiran "was hungry and seemed dehydrated." The child had been in the hot sun for quite some time that afternoon, he said.

Chambers, of Laxey Road, Blackburn, was given 18 months conditional discharge. Keiran was taken from her by social services and placed with her mother.

But Councillor Paul Browne today slammed Blackburn with Darwen social services department saying they acted too late. He vowed to bring it up personally with director Ken Foote.

The Liberal Democrat said: "This is disgraceful. Social services should have acted the first time and not waited until it happened again to sort the problem.

"You hear people talk about how good our social services department is but this proves the exact opposite. Something has obviously slipped through the net and somebody needs to be hauled over the coals for this. It is appalling.

"I will contact the director myself first thing on Monday and demand to know what went wrong."

Mr Foote defended his actions and said the department acted in the correct way.

He said: "Blackburn with Darwen Social Services has more than fulfilled its statutory responsibility since our involvement following the original court appearance. "Details of any particular case are, however, confidential and not a matter for public record."

Children's charity ChildLine warned that an atmosphere of drink made a lasting impression on youngsters.

William Kidd, director of the North West branch, said: "We get calls all the time from children telling us about the effects drink has on their lives.

"Obviously parents who have babies have to have their wits about them as their children are very vulnerable. Young children in particular cannot look after themselves.

"It is a very difficult to make these judgements immediately. The important thing is to keep a family together. If action does need taken I hope the authorities take that decision quickly."

The first incident involving Chambers happened in May when police arrested her as she staggered across Railway Road, in the town centre, pushing a 16-month-old baby in a pram.

Blackburn magistrates heard she collided with at least one car as she meandered about the busy road before eventually collapsing in the road.

Eye witnesses described how the child, who was not strapped in the pushchair, was screaming.

On that occasion Chambers told police she had drunk about one-and-a-half bottles of sherry on the Boulevard with the 'winos'.

She pleaded guilty to child neglect at Blackburn magistrates and was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for 18 months.

Despite efforts to speak to Chambers, she was unavailable for comment.