A little girl of only 6 was left alone by her cruel mum for FIVE whole days in a freezing-cold, dirty flat. Left to fend for herself, she survived on water, yoghurt and pickled-onion flavour Monster Munch, while her only company was a flat-screen TV.

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At first the poor youngster dressed for school, and waited for her mum to come home. When she didn’t return, she took off her uniform and watched television.

The cold, terrified girl was only rescued when she eventually knocked on a neighbour’s door, wearing a nightie, sobbing and shaking. She told them, "Mum has left me for five days and she has not come back."

When police finally entered the home, in Dartford, Kent, they found it was scruffy and dirty, with cat mess in nearly every room and an unclean kitchen. Cold and uncomfortable, there were no carpets and hardly any furniture.

Mum Natalie Terry, 28, has been jailed for 18 months by Maidstone crown court. The little girl, now 8, now lives with her gran.

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Cheryl Freedman has been working as a journalist for 20 years, and began writing about parenting when her son was a baby back in 2009. She's written reviews and features for MFM, testing everything from booster seats to strollers and writing guides to breast-feeding, infant nutrition and more.

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