A BOY could have died when he took his dad’s cocaine after finding a bag of the drug at their home, a court heard.

The four-year-old had hallucinations after swallowing the class A substance left on a bed by his “reckless” dad, 30, at their home in Eastleigh, Hants.

The lad became unwell before his mum, 25, found him and rushed him to hospital where he was kept overnight.

The parents, who cannot be named, admitted neglect at Southampton JPs court. Jailing the dad for three months, a judge told him: “Drugs should not be part of a child’s life.”

The mum was handed a 12-month community order.

The court also heard the father has given up cocaine and cannabis since the incident and berated himself in a police interview following his arrest.

He told officers: "I think it's disgusting, it's despicable. When I think about what could have happened I'm so ashamed about it."

Mitigating, solicitor Will Day said: "He was scared about what could have happened. He has let his son down massively."