Care requests at high after Baby P

THE number of court applications to take children into care has hit a record level in the wake of the Baby Peter case, official figures revealed today.

The statistics for England and Wales show a 47 per cent rise in applications between July and September compared with last year - equivalent to an extra 688 cases. June had the highest figure recorded for a single month at 784.

The statistics from the Government's Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service will be welcomed by those who believe too many children are being allowed to remain at risk in their homes. But some critics think councils may now be acting too quickly in minor cases.