Magistrates have been condemned for letting a drink-driver who nearly crushed two girls when she reversed into their house walk free from court.

Alcoholic Rebecca Goff was nearly five times the legal limit after a vodka binge and magistrates said it was the worst case they had come across.

But they refused to impose a jail sentence, prompting anger from the girls' tearful mother.

Goff's Vauxhall Cavalier smashed into a neighbour's living room on Chichester Road, Bognor, on October 2.

Nicky Starkey, 16, and her eight-year-old sister Paige were sitting on a sofa at 5.30pm when they heard a loud crash.

The teenager looked out of the window, saw a car speeding towards them, grabbed her little sister and jumped off the sofa just before the vehicle smashed through the front of their home.

Goff was given a two-year community rehabilitation order, a four-year driving ban and an order to pay £70 costs by Chichester magistrates.

The children's mother, Su, broke down in tears afterwards and said: "This isn't justice.

"This doesn't teach anybody a lesson. She got behind the wheel of her car and nearly killed two children, and all they are saying is: 'Silly girl. You drove after having drunk and you drove badly'.

"I feel the only people who are serving any punishment are me and my daughter, Nicky.

"She suffered quite badly because of this. She is sinking into depression and she can only come into the house if myself and my partner are with her.

"She is constantly in floods of tears, she has nightmares and she cannot sleep."

Nicky, who has suffered back pain since the incident, has been referred to a psychiatrist by doctors who believe she has post-traumatic stress disorder and Paige also needs constant reassurance.

Goff, 47, had admitted driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol and careless drinking at an earlier hearing and the court heard she had lost her job because of the incident.

Helen Hawden, prosecuting, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was found to have 163mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

Chairman of the bench David Whatley told her: "Between us we've got over 30 years' experience and we have never seen a reading as high as this. But we have decided it is not appropriate that you should go to prison."

No reason was given for this decision.

Courts can impose a custodial sentence of up to six months and a fine up to £5,000 for drink-drive offences not involving death.

A new offence was created by the Road Traffic Act 1991 carrying a maximum prison sentence of ten years for those who caused death by careless driving while above the legal limit.

But there is no middle-ground offence of causing injury while drunk behind the wheel of a car.

Road safety campaigners have called for a change in the law so that drunken drivers who cause injury can still receive severe penalties.

A spokesman for RoadPeace said after the hearing: "Thankfully the girls were not killed or she would be facing a jail term.

"But it was the quick thinking of the girl which meant it was not a fatality.

"We'd like to see an offence of causing injury by driving under the influence of drink.

"I find it quite appalling that Goff was charged with careless driving when she drove into someone's house. I'd call that dangerous driving.

"People are sent to prison for theft but you have people doing things which endanger people's lives and they get community service."