A care worker has been given a criminal record and banned from working with children for a year after striking a “physically aggressive” child who was going for her eyes with a broom.

Monsurat Balogun, 46, was given a community order at court this week after admitting an assault at the Lighthouse Children’s Home in Surbiton on August 13 last year, described as “borderline accidental”.

The eight-year-old boy, who suffered from learning disabilities, had thrown a tennis ball at Balogun’s face and attacked her with a broom after being told twice to apologise.

Defence counsel Susanne Cleary said: “The complainant pointed the broom at Mrs Balogun and threatened to poke her eye out.

“He was extremely physically aggressive, throwing a tennis ball at her face. All of the witnesses corroborated that.

"She asked him to stop. Other members of staff also asked him to stop doing this. He did not. He continued.

“The complainant pointed the broom at Mrs Balogun and threatened to poke her eye out. He pushed it into her face and into her eye area.

"She asked him to refrain from doing this and he did not. He continued to use the brush to aggressively rub her face.

"She grabbed the broom and unfortunately struck the complainant in his face.

"She admits she did it by force."

Balogun had been working with the Lighthouse Children’s Home in Surbiton for a year before the incident.

She had worked with the boy before without any problems. He attacked staff 34 times while he was at the home, the court heard.

The boy’s grandmother had previously been investigated on suspicion of assaulting him, but was not prosecuted, the court heard.

The court heard his parents had also been involved in incidents.

Balogun, from Southwark, wept in court as she was described as being “extremely remorseful”.

Andrew Millard, lead magistrate at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court at the sentencing on June 4, said: “This is an extremely difficult situation, but common assault is serious enough to make a community order.”

She was given a community order for 12 months, during which she must carry out unpaid work and is banned from working with children for one year.

She was also fined £145.