A DRUG-DEALING mother-of-three has been spared jail so she can look after her children.

Police found a stash of heroin, crack cocaine and super-strength cannabis sorted into street deals when they raided Debbie Edmead's flat in Moorbank, Blackbird Leys, in Oxford, last May.

Edmead, 37, was living with two of her children - aged nine and 16 - at the time police stormed into the flat.

Officers also found 11 mobile phones - some with stored messages from customers ordering drug deals.

Today Edmead was handed a community order at Oxford Crown Court after pleading guilty to possession of super-strength 'skunk' cannabis, crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply at an earlier hearing.

An allegation of breach of an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo), which she was given in February 2006, was dropped.

But Judge Julian Hall said the birth of her son, now aged 18 months, had changed her life and she had shown signs of ending her drug habit.

Henry James, prosecuting, said: "Police forced entry and found Miss Edmead and two children.

"They also found a large quantity of drugs and paraphernalia. The search took some time because the flat was quite chaotic."

Mr James said police removed £970 cash from inside the flat.

Judge Hall said if Edmead had been a man she would be looking at a jail sentence and asked the court why she should not be locked away.

Claire Fraser, defending, said: "She shouldn't, because of her children. She has changed from the situation she was in back when these offences were committed. She has made changes and been successful."

Edmead, now living at Fairlie Road, Rose Hill, has visited drugs counsellors and is the sole carer for her 18-month-old and 16-year-old sons.

Judge Hall handed Edmead a two-year supervision order, 150 hours' unpaid work and ordered her to attend a substance misuse programme.

He said: "It is clear you were dealing in drugs and a proper sentence for a guilty plea would have been two or two-and-a-half years in prison.

"The order I am going to make preserves that as a possibility if you don't obey that order.

"But it does seem to me, partly because of a result of your young child, given the chance to keep on the rails you seem to have got on to, you should succeed."