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An expert in child abuse investigations has urged the government to introduce training for social workers who interview alleged victims of abuse, writes Sally Gillen.

Dr William Thompson claimed social workers do not have the skills to detect false claims. Giving evidence to the last session of the home affairs select committee inquiry into abuse in children’s homes, he also said social workers were incapable of reviewing and analysing their interviews.

Thompson, a lecturer in human sexualities at Reading University, who has worked on six major abuse investigations including Cleveland and Orkney, said that between 40 and 50 per cent of questions asked by social workers and the police were leading or suggestive.

"I have a major problem in that it has been demonstrated over and over again that social workers do not review their interviews. It has always horrified me," said Thompson.

He added that he had dealt with a Kent social worker recently who had worked on around 100 cases but "admitted that she had never read a transcript of one of her interviews because that was not the practice in Kent social services".

Asked by committee chairperson Chris Mullin MP what reforms he would like to see as a result of the inquiry, Thompson said: "I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is for professionals, social workers and the police, to have proper training on how to conduct interviews and also how to review them."