A HAMPSHIRE mum who neglected her two little boys before they died just three months apart will not face any criminal charges, the Daily Echo can exclusively reveal.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed it will not bring prosecution for child neglect against Shelly Adams after re-reviewing the care she gave to sons Bradley, aged four, and two-year-old Jayden.

CPS Wessex reopened the case in May after being prompted by a Daily Echo investigation following a damning serious case review which slammed Southampton’s social services for failing to protect them.

But the CPS says it has now closed its file on 28-year-old Shelly Adams because there is not enough evidence to suggest any neglect was deliberate and with intent to cause harm.

The decision was revealed despite both the serious case review and family court proceedings both ruling the boys had been neglected.

Daily Echo:

Bradley (left) and Jayden Adams died in 2012 aged four and two respectively

At an inquest into the death of the youngsters last year, it was revealed that one of the most senior judges in the country, as well as a highly qualified health expert and senior detectives probing the deaths, all believed it was “highly possible” that Ms Adams had killed both boys – but there was no conclusive proof.

The hearing was told how the “compelling piece of evidence” that would have showed that the Southampton mum caused the deaths of her children by smothering could not be found.

Following a review, Arwel Jones, head of the complex casework unit for CPS Wessex, said: “Although Mr Justice Baker and the serious case review had found that Shelly Adams had neglected her children, the offence of child neglect goes further and requires that the prosecution proves beyond reasonable doubt that she had wilfully ill-treated or neglected her children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health.

“The boys’ deaths could not be attributed to the way in which she cared for them.

“Whilst there was evidence to support the findings made by Mr Justice Baker, that did not extend to evidence sufficient to prove that any neglect on her part was wilful and likely to cause the children unnecessary suffering or injury to health.”

The CPS confirmed it was the end of any investigation against Ms Adams relating to the deaths of Bradley and Jayden.

Mr Jones added: “In light of the serious case review commissioned by the Southampton Local Safe-guarding Children Board into the deaths of Shelley Adams’ children, Bradley and Jayden, and in accordance with our duty to review continuously our decisions, it was important, in consultation with Hampshire Constabulary, to review the case and decide whether any charge of child neglect should be brought against Shelley Adams.”

Ms Adams had been arrested on suspicion of killing the children in 2012 but the case was also dropped because of a lack of evidence.

A 2013 inquest into their deaths heard she twice asked for her children to be removed from her care, claiming she could not cope, but no action was taken by Southampton City Council’s children’s services department.

The CPS decision comes weeks after an Ofsted inspection found the city council was still failing vulnerable children and required more improvements, despite major changes since the council labelled itself ‘inadequate’ in April 2013.

But council leaders say new measures like the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), where police, health and social workers meet daily to discuss cases, are working well.