When police went to the flat in Beeston, Leeds, they discovered the three-year-old's father Gary Nelson, 39, slumped unconscious in a chair in the living room surrounded by blood filled hypodermic syringes as his son tried to wake him.

Leeds Crown Court heard the mother, Georgia Gregson, who is six months pregnant, was on the floor in the blood spattered bathroom with a syringe sticking out of her leg. Both parents had overdosed on heroin at Nelson's flat on June 27 2008.

The parents, who admitted child neglect, escaped jail and were given community orders.

Prosecutor Richard Clewes said social services had been involved with the family since before the boy was born in May 2005.

At the time of the birth Gregson, 33, was on a methadone programme. Social services were concerned about her ability to cope because of drug use and potential violence in the home. Both parents had a social worker and a health visitor.

Recorder Michael Smith said pictures of the flat with syringes lying around were horrifying. "The dangers to this little boy were very real indeed. He could have picked up one of these syringes, he could have drowned in the bath, he could have fallen out of the window if he had tried to escape."

He added: "The little lad told a social worker 'Mummy puts things in her arms and makes herself poorly.'"

Reading from a social worker's report Recorder Smith added: "He told me how scared he was because his mummy and daddy wouldn't wake up and nobody would come."

The court heard that on June 27 neighbours above the flat heard the boy crying and saying "daddy, daddy". They were concerned because they usually heard the father telling the child to shut up. One neighbour looked through a window, saw him slumped in a chair with the toddler trying to wake him.

Police went in and saw the child on his father's knee. There were syringes within touching distance, including two that had blood in them.

Police spoke through the window to the child who told them his mother was on the floor. Officers climbed through the window and found the mother with a needle out in her thigh. The boy had his arms around her. Both were taken to hospital.

The child in now being cared for by foster carers.
The court heard that Nelson and Gregson are now separated.

The mother told police she had run a bath wanting to wet towels to revive her partner, but decided to take her last fix of heroin, before collapsing.

She said she was visiting the father, who had care of the boy that day. The father told police: "I will never forgive myself."