Lord Laming's report backs the original joint review of Haringey Council, which he says "continues to be the best available evidence as to the state of Haringey's children's services in early 1999".

The secret examination of the review, ordered by social services chief inspector Denise Platt and Audit Commission chief Andrew Foster and over which the Laming inquiry was re-opened last autumn, did little to undermine its conclusions, he says.

"Despite the encouraging headlines, there were substantial detailed criticisms of various aspects of the services in the joint review report. In my view, Haringey did no more than pay lip service to the detail of the report, choosing instead to play to the positive headlines of the joint review," says the report.