A two-year-old girl suffered broken legs - after being accidentally run over by a banned driver as she played.

Magistrates sitting in Carlisle heard that Richard James Curry, 37, who was prosecuted in 2011 for drink driving, immediately drove the injured girl and her mother to a nearby hospital.

The defendant's lawyer told the court he had mistakenly believed his six month driving ban - for another offence committed in January - had come to an end.

In court, Curry, of Newlands Place, Penrith, admitted careless driving, as well as disqualified and uninsured driving.

Prosecutor Pam Ward said the accident happened on June 21 after the defendant drove a rented transit van to the Lakes View Caravan Park, near Penrith, to visit a relative.

As he left, he climbed into his van and began to drive away, unaware that there was a child playing on her scooter nearby.

Mrs Ward said: “The two-year-old had been playing on a scooter in front of the vehicle and she was dragged underneath. He brought the vehicle to a stop and got out.”

Curry and the child's mother – who was in court to support the defendant – took the toddler to hospital in Penrith, from where she was transferred to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, where doctors confirmed that her legs were broken.

When he was interviewed by the police, Curry made full admissions, said Mrs Ward.

John Smith, mitigating, described the case as tragic, given that a young child was seriously injured.

“What he didn't realise,” said Mr Smith, “was that there was a young child playing on her tricycle immediately in front of his front bumper.

"It was a blind spot and he couldn't see. There was a collision and he immediately stopped.”

Curry had done everything he could to put right the situation, said Mr Smith. This including taking the child, a relative of his, and her mother to hospital.

The mother was in court in a supportive capacity for the defendant and the family regarded what happened as a tragic accident, said the lawyer.

He said: “It could have been a lot worse but thankfully it wasn't.

“As soon as he realised what had happened, he immediately stopped.

“When he was interviewed by the police, they asked him what speed he had been travelling at.

"His answer was: 'One mile per hour.' That would have been the end of it, except the police became involved.”

When quizzed about his status as a banned driver, said Mr Smith, Curry told police his licence had been returned to him by the DVLA and he was no longer banned - but official records showed his ban in fact ran until July 11.

The lawyer said DVLA officials returned Curry's licence in mid to late June.

When he called them, an official told him his ban ran until the 11th, and he mistakenly believed that was a reference to June and that his ban had ended. His licence had been checked out by the van hire firm and they raised no objections.

“So he didn't realise he was disqualified,” added Mr Smith.

Magistrates accepted that explanation and imposed fines of £440 and £295 for the disqualified and careless driving offences, along with a victim surcharge of £44, and prosecution costs of £85.

In addition, Curry's driving licence was endorsed with six penalty points.

Following the 2011 offences, Curry was given a 40 month ban.