A CIRENCESTER mother of four has lost custody of her children because she had drugs openly in front of them at her home.

At Gloucester crown court on Monday Tegan Muldowney of Fairfax Road, Watermoor, pleaded guilty to possessing 31.9 grams of cannabis and 0.68 grams of amphetamine.

The court heard that the drugs were found when police raided her home on May 14 last year.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said the offences had enormous consequences for 27-year-old Muldowney because she has had custody of her children aged from three to nine taken from her. They are currently being cared for by her mother.

"The cannabis was on the floor of the sitting room. The aggravating feature is that the four young children were in the home at the time. The amphetamine was found in pockets in her jumper," said the prosecutor.

Mr Kesner said Muldowney's partner, who is father to two of the children, was also arrested and at an earlier hearing has received a suspended jail term for having cannabis and amphetamines with intent to supply.

Joe Maloney, defending, pointed out that Muldowney was previously of good character, Until the offences she had never been involved with social agencies regarding the children and they were all being properly brought up, he said.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC said his concern was that she continued to use cannabis, even now, and refuses to stop.

Mr Maloney said she was trying to wean herself off the drug but found it difficult because she had been taking it regularly for more than half her lifetime.

Judge Tabor sentenced her to an eight-week electronically-tagged home curfew from 8pm to 6am every night.

He told her: "The children have been taken from you for the time being and that is a far bigger punishment than anything I can impose on you."