No compensation over abuse claims

A mother who had her baby taken away for four months after she and her partner were wrongly accused of abuse has failed in a test case bid for compensation.

The mother and the boy, now aged eight, sued Bury Council for negligence and sought financial damages for their “shock and upset”.

But Appeal Court judges ruled this week that the council owed the mother no “duty of care” while investigating allegations in good faith.

Paul Fallon, co-chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services children and families committee, said workers were accountable for their actions in several ways and going down the road of compensation culture would not help.