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A woman gave sedatives to her young children in a bid to bolster claims that their father drugged the youngsters with the aim of sexually abusing them.

The youngsters were just seven and three when they were sedated as part of the twisted plot.

Judge Jeremy Lea exonerated the children and found that any "statements" made by them were the result of "pressure" from their mother and maternal grandmother after analysing issues at a private family court hearing .

He decided that the two women irrationally believed that the children had been abused.

The judge concluded that the youngsters should live with their father.

Detail of the case has emerged after the woman mounted an unsuccessful appeal.

Two Court of Appeal judges analysed issues at a public Court of Appeal hearing in London.

Lord Justice McFarlane and Lord Justice Peter Jackson said, in a written ruling, that they had dismissed the woman's appeal bid and refused to overturn orders made by Judge Lea.

They said the children could not be identified.