A female childminder in charge of several toddlers was found unconscious by a mother, it has recently been revealed.

On 2nd September, the unnamed mother turned-up at the childminder's house to collect her toddler and found the childminder unconscious in the kitchen with the stove left on. At first, according to reports, she assumed that the woman had collapsed from a seizure but, upon closer inspection, she could smell alcohol on her breath.

The woman telephoned her husband to come and assist her in moving the unconscious child-carer out of the kitchen and she also rang another childminder and as well as the parents of the other under-3s being looked after.

Parents were initially informed that the childminder was 'ill', though it was finally revealed to them a fortnight ago that she had actually been drunk at work. In the interests of disclosure, Ii's former head of child services then revealed the information to Kaleva and it has in turn been reported in the tabloid newspapers. Apparently, the childminder was extremely experienced and had been doing the job many years.