THE grandfather of a toddler who was neglected by her parents has hit out at the "lenient" sentence they were given.

The grandfather, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is appalled that the child's parents were only given six-month suspended sentences, and fined £250 between them, after admitting child neglect.

He believes they should have been jailed for at least six months each for neglecting the child, who was said in court to be "badly bruised".

"If you kicked a dog in the street, or didn't get any road tax, you'd get more than this," he said.

"I think it's disgusting. They should have received a very severe sentence for what they've done.

"This lenient sentence is going to send the message out to other people that it's okay to do this to children, and my whole family are furious about it.

"She was just a little baby who couldn't defend herself, and they treated her like that."

The child's mother and her new partner appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday, August 9, charged with child neglect.

The court was told how the two 23-year-olds, from Dines Green, did not take the child to a doctor for two days, despite the girl suffering severe bruising.

The man said she had fallen from a stool on to the kitchen floor, but District Judge Browning said it appeared from the evidence that the child had been beaten.

The girl is now permanently living with her natural father and her grandparents in Worcester.

Her grandfather said she had recovered from the ordeal, but would not trust adults for a long time.

"She's okay now but, when we first had her she was terrified," he said. "She'll never come to any more harm now she's with us."