Mother,17, admits child cruelty after pouring bleach in her newborn baby's mouth

A 17-year-old girl has admitted poured bleach into the mouth of her baby just moments after giving birth in secret.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, kept her pregnancy from her parents and on August 10 last year, the little boy was born unaided in the bathroom of her family home.

Within "minutes or even moments", she poured domestic bleach into the mouth of her newly born child, prosecutor Edward Brown QC told the Old Bailey.

The child was badly scalded in the mouth and lips by the toxic chemicals but survived following hospital treatment.

The girl, from west London, was charged with attempted murder but at a hearing today, the prosecution accepted a guilty plea to a second lesser charge of child cruelty.

Mr Brown told the court that the decision was based on two psychiatric reports as well as consideration of the defendant's young age and background.