The Barnsley sisters who shopped their drunken mother to police knew they were doing the right thing as she staggered off and got behind the wheel of her sports car.

They acted out of care and concern - for their mother, who could have killed herself, and also for anyone who might have crossed her path.

There was someone else to consider, too - their eight year old sister. Only a few days later, Cox attempted to drive to school and pick up the little girl after another night of boozing.

But picking up that phone and reporting her must have taken so much soul-searching. At the age of 21, they knew the implications of what they were about to do; the trouble it would cause for her.

One can only wonder whether the girls had seen their mum, Tracey Cox, drunk before - and that this occasion might have been the last straw.

I hope this mother can see that she should be incredibly proud of her daughters for doing what she had failed to do; to take responsibility for herself and ensure the safety of her youngest child.

Barnsley Magistrates' Court was told that Cox was at the end of her tether over divorce and custody battles and is now getting help from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Many women will be able to identify with that. But unlike Cox, they cope without attempting to drown their problems in booze.

And uppermost in their minds, even in the worst of times, are the most important things in their lives - their children.

Cox should feel deeply ashamed for letting them down - and for putting her eldest two in such a dreadful position.
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