Four women who forced two toddlers to fight each other and filmed the action have been named after anonynmity orders were succesfully challenged by the Plymouth Herald and the Press Association.

The children’s mother, her two sisters and their mother were identified after the judge at Plymouth Crown Court agreed to amend a S39 order under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Herald news editor James Garnett said: “The order is in place to protect the children but it would have protected the defendants in this case.

“Because of the public interest and the gravity of the case the lawyers sought a revised order, where we could still not name the youngsters, but the line of the S39 order ‘or any particulars leading to identification’ has been removed.

“The judge also agreed we could state the relationship between the women and the children.

“We were pleased because we firmly believed these women should be named and shamed. The public reaction we have had backs this up.”

Judge Francis Gilbert QC told the court: “I intend to amend the order, the defendants may be identified.

“There must be no picture, name, address or school published of the children. Having regard to their ages, I think that the order is sensible.”

He also allowed reporting of the fact that the prosecution was brought after the children’s father went to social services and the police after returning from service with the Army in Iraq and discovering footage of the incident on a video camera.

But he asked that the father should be allowed to remain anonymous.

All four women, from North Prospect, Plymouth, Devon, were given 12-month sentences suspended for two years at Plymouth Crown Court after admitting cruelty charges, and were ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service, and banned from working with children.

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