A MOTHER of four allowed neighbourhood children to use her home as a safe house for stolen goods, a court heard yesterday.

Caroline Dodsworth, 30, was living in Melsonby Crescent, Darlington, in August last year.

Yesterday, at Teesside Crown Court, she admitted three charges of handling stolen goods.

The court heard how Dodsworth, a single parent, now living in Edgemore Road, Darlington, was originally charged with five offences.

Not guilty pleas were accepted for two charges of handling stolen goods.

The court heard how during the summer last year, after a spate of thefts from gardens in the area, police launched an operation to catch the thieves.

They set up an advertisement, describing themselves as Dial A Buy Dealers, which was published in the local press.

The officers were called by youths, who were later found to be the thieves, who said they had items for sale.

Christopher Morrison, prosecuting, told the court that officers called at the home of Dodsworth and bought several items there, on different occasions, from five youths.

These included a Blade Mountain bike, which was sold for £35, and an ornamental statue of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. These items were returned to their owners and the youths were later convicted and given conditional discharges for their crimes.

Mr Morrison said: "These items were fenced from her address."

He said it had emerged that Dodsworth was a "busy mum with a lot on her mind at the time".

Paul Cleasby, for Dodsworth, said his client had four children aged 12, ten, nine and seven.

He said: "The offences were committed at a time when her previous partner had left her for another woman, and she was devastated by that.

"She was suffering from a depressive illness, but she has now improved her situation.

"She has moved from the area where she was plagued by these youths. People knew they could prey on her.

"She received no money for the goods in her house.

"In fact, she was turning a blind eye. She did not steal any of the items.

"She was not the Fagan behind the operation."

Mr Recorder John Rowe said: "Your house was being used as a safe house where youths brought stolen goods.

"You understood that allowing thieves to have a safe house helps those thieves enormously."

Dodsworth received a 12-month conditional discharge for the three offences.