Two Councillors In Baby P Case Were Irish

It has emerged that two of the councillors in the Baby P case were Irish, including the head of Children's services at Haringey Council, who resigned at the start of this week.

Sharon Shoesmith, who is from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, was suspended following the release of a damning inspector's report.

The report into the death of Baby P, after months of physical abuse going undetected by councillors found that the children's services agencies suffered from poor information gathering, insufficient supervision from senior management and an isolationist approach.

The £100,000-a-year director sparked outrage when she refused to apologise over the incident on behalf of the council.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said he had directed that Ms Shoesmith be removed with immediate effect.

Donegal-born Cllr George Meehan resigned as leader of London's Haringey Council over the scandal.

According to the Irish Times, the councillor moved from Ireland to London in 1963 and served as a school governor in a number of Haringey schools.

Baby P died after suffering more than 50 injuries, including having his spine broken, at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger.

It has also been revealed that Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat, who is also under investigation in relation to the Baby P case is now believed to be living in Brookfield, Mullingar and had worked in four Irish hospitals during her career.

(DW)