South Yorkshire Times, July 7, 1951
Bolton Children Locked in While Parents Were at Work
Three children aged four, eight and 11 were alleged at Doncaster West Riding Magistrates Court on Tuesday to have been terrified and screaming when left locked in their home at night while their parents went to work. The parents, William Westwood, (42) miner, and his wife Phyllis (37), of Carrfield Lane, Bolton, were discharged conditionally on payment of 4s. each, after pleading “Not Guilty” to neglecting their three children.
Alice Wear, next door neighbour of the Westwood’s said that Cherie, aged eight, knocked on the wall and shouted her to go in the house as Roy, aged four, was having a fit. She stopped taking the children in because Mrs. Westwood was “very difficult” and never thanked her.
P.C. Pearson said that on the night of June 11th there were 20 people outside the house and there was such a “pandemonium” that he could not get an answer by knocking on the door. Roy and Cherie were terrified and screaming and John aged 11 was crying and trying to comfort the other two. There was no fireguard, the house was filthy and poorly furnished.
Westwood said he told Inspector Preston, N.S.P.C.C., that he had stopped his wife going to work.
Mrs. Westwood said she went to work solely to buy clothes for the children. She could not keep the family of six on £5 10s and had been ashamed to take the children out because they were so shabby.
The chairman (Col. W. St A. Warde-Aldam) said both defendants lacked a sense of responsibility. They left the children alone and terrified in considerable danger from the fire.
A condition of their discharge would be that the woman stayed in when the husband and the elder son, aged 16, were out.