A woman has been found not guilty of an alleged assault on a fellow mum at the gates of a school.

Rachael Harvey went on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. She had denied an alleged actual bodily harm assault against Sarah Robinson.

The charge arose out of an incident outside a school just before 9am on June 15 last year.

Giving evidence, Mrs Harvey, of Robert Owen Avenue, Cleator Moor, denied that she had "grabbed" and "repeatedly punched" Miss Robinson as had been alleged.

Mrs Harvey, 33, told a jury that instead Miss Robinson had "barged" into her, and insisted that "no punches were thrown whatsoever".

"Next I know she has grabbed my hair and we have both got hold of each other's hair," Mrs Harvey said. "We were split up. That was it."

After hearing all evidence in the case, the jury found Mrs Harvey - a married mother with no convictions nor cautions to her name - unanimously not guilty of the charge she faced.

She was immediately discharged from the court dock by Recorder Richard Archer.