.Mother is believed to have fallen ill and collapsed at the wheel of her car

.Her husband raised alarm after she failed to return and police found her
.Two-year-old son had wriggled free of his seat and cuddled up to mother
.Police investigating have ruled out suicide or suspicious circumstances

A toddler spent an entire night alone in a parked car with the body of his pregnant mother after she suddenly died at the wheel, it emerged today.

Primary school teacher Alina Roberts collapsed after parking her car in a side street half-way home from a trip to a petting farm with her two-year-old son Benjamin.

When the mother and son were eventually found, Benjamin had wriggled free from his car seat and cuddled up to his mother's body. The toddler is said to have told his father he was 'cold and hungry' after his rescue.

Mrs Roberts and her son had spent the afternoon at the attraction several miles from home town of Long Eaton in Derbyshire, but after sending a message to her husband, Alex, saying she was returning, the pair did not arrive.

As time dragged on, Mr Roberts became increasingly worried about his wife and son. He contacted the police an hour after they were due home and desperately drove and re-covered the route they would have taken.

The body of Alina Roberts was found after she collapsed at the wheel of her car. Her son, Benjamin, had spent 22 hours in the car with her and was found cuddled up to his mother

A number of police cars also joined in the over-night search and, despite friends and family going out and taking to social media to ask everyone in the town to look for her, she was still missing the following morning.

Mrs Roberts's car was eventually spotted by a member of the public who has seen a post about her on social media.

They contacted police and officers found Mrs Robert's body, with little Benjamin cuddled up to her, between 1pm and 2pm the following day.

It is thought 33-year-old Mrs Roberts, who was 22 weeks pregnant, suddenly fell ill in the driver's seat around three miles from home.

Residents living on the quiet suburban street where the car was found said nobody had noticed the mother and son inside because the windows were steamed up.

A coroner's investigation has been launched - but police have ruled out suicide or suspicious circumstances.

Heartbroken Mr Roberts said: 'It's devastating to know she won't be able to see Benjamin growing up and what should have been our bigger family. I will miss living our lives together and sharing those experiences with her.'

He had planned to accompany his son and wife, who worked at Chetwynd Primary Academy in nearby Toton, Nottinghamshire, on the trip to Lanes Farm in Breaston, Derbyshire on February 15, but changed his mind.

Mr Roberts, 36, added: 'I was supposed to go with them but at the last moment I said I would stay and do some tidying up.

'We had a kiss and a cuddle when they left. After about an hour, I sent her a text message asking if they were having fun.

'It was about 3.30pm when she replied to say she was coming back in 10 minutes.

'After a while, I tried phoning her but it went straight to answer phone. Eventually, I went out in the car and drove the route I thought she would have taken but I couldn't find her.'

The car was found at 2pm the following day.

Mrs Roberts's husband said she was a 'very kind, loving and caring person' and a 'fantastic mum'

Colleagues at the primary school where worked said she had 'an infectious laugh and was loved by all'

Mr Roberts, a database manager, said: 'Benjamin is fine but he was obviously scared and frightened. He had been in the car all that time.'

The couple, of Long Eaton, had been married for nine months. Mrs Roberts's funeral was held last Saturday.

Mr Roberts described his wife as a 'fantastic mum', adding: 'She was a very kind, loving and caring person and a very loyal friend.

'Family was very important to her and motherhood came naturally. She had a very special relationship with Benjamin, which I will always remind him of.'

Mrs Roberts's heartbroken mum Hazel Myszka, 58, also paid tribute to her 'wonderful' daughter.

Mother-of-two Mrs Myszka, who also lives in Long Eaton, said: 'She was a wonderful mum and loved Ben so much. There's no indication of what happened yet. We're just all trying to pull together as a family.

'Alex is a great dad, he told us all she was missing and we had everyone out searching for her.

'I had to just sit at home and wait, and I was just expecting her to turn up eventually, so when my son Josef told me what they'd found it was devastating.

'Apparently when Ben was taken out of the car, he told his dad he was "cold and hungry". He's only two-and-a-half so I don't think he fully understands. He is my only grandchild.

'They were due to have a little girl in June as well, they were so excited.'

A coroner's investigation has been launched. It is thought Mrs Roberts (pictured) was suddenly taken ill

A satellite image shows the location of the farm (circled - 1), Mrs Robert's home in Long Eaton (circled - 3) and the street where her car was found (circled - 2)

Mrs Robert's father, Richard, returned to the UK from his home in France for the funeral.

A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said: 'We were made aware the afternoon before the car was found.

'We received a call at 5pm on February 15 and were told there were two missing people.

'The car was discovered at about 2pm the next day, but the woman's death is not being treated as suspicious or as suicide. It is now in the hands of the coroner.'

Those living on the street where the car was found have been left shocked by what happened.

Brian Walton, 78, a retired lorry driver who has lived on Byron Avenue for 20 years, said: 'I think it was a black Vauxhall car but it was hard to see with all the police around.

'I hadn't even noticed it until I came home and the road was closed and there were several police cars and an ambulance. The windows were steamed up so you couldn't see anything in the car.

'It was right up at the top end of the road on the opposite pavement from our house, by the bungalow at the end of the street.

'The car just looked like it was parked there, it didn't look unusual at all. I don't think anyone suspected anything.

'People have discarded cars down this road before and police have come to pick them up so we thought it might have been that again.

Mrs Roberts's former school paid tribute to her on Facebook ahead of her funeral last weekend

The mother and baby were found in the parked car in this residential street in Long Eaton, Derbyshire

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, added: 'You just feel like you could have done something to help.

'Knowing this poor lad was in the car the whole time on our doorstep with his mum dead in the car is just heart-wrenching.

'The fact she was pregnant too just makes even more harrowing. It doesn't get any more tragic than this.'

Friends and colleagues of Mrs Roberts have also paid tribute to her.

Lorraine Tonks, principal of Chetwynd Primary Academy, said: 'Alina was one of the hardest-working, caring and kindest teachers I've worked with. She had an infectious laugh and was loved by staff, children and parents.'

Rebecca Langley, 22, a call centre worker who lives two doors down from the Roberts family, said: 'Alina was a lovely woman and she will be deeply missed. We always said hello to them in passing, and they had a little boy.

'I worked from home last summer and remember always seeing them all playing in the garden, they seemed so happy.

'I heard what had happened from a neighbour. My heart really goes out to Alex and Ben.

'It's so heart-breaking for Ben left in the car. I've offered Alex help whenever he needs it, because my partner and I just want to support our neighbours.

'I'm in awe of how Alex is coping as well, I saw him in the garden playing with Ben the other day, he is obviously trying to stay strong for his little boy.

'I think Ben's too young to understand what's going on, I think he's just missing his mum.'

Writing online, friend Gareth Cummins said: 'There are so many people whose lives you've touched who will be that bit sadder and emptier because of this senseless loss.'