A toddler toppled from his buggy in front of a double-decker bus while his drunken parents staggered around arguing.

The 21-month-old boy was with his parents when he fell from his pushchair on to the street in Exeter's town centre, a court heard.

His mother and father, both intoxicated at the time, tried to help him off the road when police noticed the incident.

Officers managed to pull the child to safety.

The child's mother said "I'm shocked I'm like this", while his father continued grabbing cans of beer from his bag.

Details of the incident emerged when the couple, aged in their 40s, appeared before magistrates in Exeter.

The pair, who are both alcoholics, were reported by a concerned member of the public who saw them pushing their 21-month-old child in a buggy.

Prosecuting, Warjinder Sadeghi told the court the offence happened at about 7pm.

CCTV found them on their way to the bus station.  

"Both defendants appeared drunk," Ms Sadeghi said.

The mother, reeking of alcohol, struggled to get the child out of his buggy.

Police arrived at the scene and helped him down steps. The woman tried to leave the scene on a bus but returned a short time later, magistrates were told.

"The child fell over in the road in front of a double decker bus," said Ms Sadeghi.

"She tried to pick him up but police spotted the danger and got him out of harm's way.

"The child's dad was slurring his words while 'hitting himself on the head with his hands," the court heard.

"He continued to drink alcohol, getting cans from out of his bag," said the prosecutor.

The couple starting arguing and swearing at each other while police assessed the state of the child.

"He had dirty marks all over his face," said Ms Sadeghi.

The child is now subject to child protection measures and is in foster care.

The couple, who cannot be named because of a court order, pleaded guilty to being found drunk at Exeter Bus Station while having charge of a child under the age of seven.

The boy's father has a previous conviction from 2011 for the same offence. His mother has a previous caution for child neglect.

Stephen Nunn, defending, said both had been in the grip of serious drink and social problems at the time of the offence but were now turning their lives around.

The dad had been doing very well getting clean of drink and drugs. The mum has been doing a course to kick her habit.

"This was a very serious offence," said the chair of the bench.

"It involved a 21-month-old child put in serious danger by your drunken state."

But she said progress made by the defendants had been so good magistrates said they would move away from sentencing guidelines and give each of them a conditional discharge for 24 months.

There were no costs due to the pair's limited means. They were both ordered to pay £20 victim surcharge.