A WOMAN has admitted neglect after leaving her newborn baby son on a doorstep.

Leigh-Anne Varley has been charged in relation to abandoning the baby in Horden, near Peterlee, in County Durham.

A baby wrapped in a bundle of dressing gowns was found on a doorstep in Emerson Court after a dog drew attention to it shortly before 5am on May 28.

It is understood Varley, 36, of Park View, Peterlee, came forward after a public appeal was made and was taken for a medical examination.

She attended Peterlee Magistrates’ Court this morning (Thursday, August 27) and entered a guilty plea through her solicitor, Sheila Ramshaw, to a single charge.

Varley admitted being responsible for her newborn baby but wilfully, ill treated, neglected, abandoned or exposed him in a manner to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.

No details of the case were read out and the proceedings have been adjourned until September 17 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Varley has been granted bail until then.

The incident came as a huge shock to the community in Horden and the case made headlines in national newspapers.

Speaking to The Northern Echo at the time Janice Clish, of Emerson Court, said: “My ex-boyfriend Russell Dobson who lives over the road was taking his dog for a walk around the block and was calling for him, but he wasn’t coming.

“Russell went over and saw the dog scratching around and discovered the baby.”

“He woke me up and said ‘there is a baby on the doorstep’. I couldn’t believe it and was absolutely shocked when I saw him.

“He was wrapped in two dressing gowns, a grey one and then a white one around him with coloured stars on it.

“He had no nappy on anything. He was crying a little bit. He must have been newborn as he had blood on his head and down his sides.”

The couple called the police who took the baby to North Tees Hospital where his condition was described as fit and well.

Police, who believe he was about 12 hours old when he was discovered, said at the time they were working with Durham County Council’s Children Services as part of the investigation.