Council suspends two staff after boy left at roadside

Two social services staff have been suspended after leaving a
teenager by the side of the road on the way home from a day-trip to
the seaside, writes Natasha Salari.
The staff from Coventry social services were on their way back from
taking a group of children on a trip to Bournemouth earlier this
month. The 14-year-old boy was left on the side of the A34 near
Newbury after behaving badly.
Staff reported him missing at 9.40pm the same day prompting police
to begin a search for him with dogs and a helicopter. He was found
at 11am the next day close to the road.
Howard Woolfenden, head of the children’s group in Coventry social
services, said: “We have launched an immediate and formal
investigation into this situation and as such cannot comment
further until the investigation is completed.
“We take these type of allegations very seriously and we can
assure the public we will be conducting a very thorough and
rigorous independent investigation.”