A safety breach, which led to a seven-year-old carnival princess being left home alone, has prompted her family to withdraw her from her role.

Leah Sewell, who was selected for the town’s junior court in March, was dropped at home in Blenheim Road, Deal, by a chaperone after representing Sandwich at the Folk and Ale Festival on Saturday, July 9.

But the family claim she did not check she was safely with an adult, and instead the Sandown Primary pupil was left on her own until a neighbour helped out.

The court’s manager has since apologised verbally and in writing, but Leah’s mother, Lucy Sewell, has said her daughter will no longer be involved in carnival events.

Leah’s grandmother Sharon Green, of St Bart’s Road, Sandwich, said: “I was absolutely disgusted to learn that Leah was dropped off not to her front door to her mum or another adult but just to the top of a track that leads to her garden and back door.

“My daughter had nipped out thinking it was safe to do so, thinking she would receive a text or call letting her know they were on their way back, but she did not.”

Leah was locked out and had to climb through an open window.

Mrs Green said: “She was crying for her mum and getting herself in a right state. She then climbed back out the window and walked back to the street with no one in sight.

“Luckily a lady from across the street who knew her took her in and allowed her to use her phone to ring her mum.

“Thank heaven for that lovely lady otherwise there could have been a very different ending.”

Court manager Kerrie Disney has apologised verbally and in writing to the family.

She said: “I feel awful about it. There is no way I would have Leah left on her own.

“I can’t get my car down the driveway to their house so I parked at the top. I had another princess in the car so I couldn’t leave her.

“Leah went through the back gate and I waited for 10 minutes and she didn’t come back out.

“Instead of coming back out to tell me her mum wasn’t there, I later found out she’d climbed through the window.

“I had told Leah’s mum we were going to be a couple of hours.

“Unless we’re going to be late, we don’t text parents.

“People who know me know I’m strict on safety and that the children always come first.”