A mother has been sent to a secure psychiatric unit after being charged with murdering her two young children.

Fiona Donnison appeared at Lewes Magistrates' Court today accused of killing Harry, three, and Elise, two.

She was told she would be kept in a medium-security psychiatric unit until the start of a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on February 12, at 10am.

Her children's bodies were discovered inside holdalls in the boot of a car close to the family's home in Heathfield on Wednesday.

They were found following a police search started that day when Mrs Donnison went to a police station having attempted to commit suicide.

Sussex Police made two murder charges against her at 1.50am today when doctors at Eastbourne District General Hospital, where she had been receiving treatment, ruled that she was fit to go into custody.

Her appearance at court followed just eight hours later.

Several of Mrs Donnison's family and friends were in the public gallery.

Some broke down into tears as she was led into the dock dressed in dark blue and shaking.

Mrs Donnison, 43, of Marshwood Road, in Lightwater, Surrey, spoke only to confirm her identity during the brief appearance.

As she was led back out of the courtroom, family members shouted: "Fiona we love you, we love you Fi."

No application for bail was made.