THE cabinet member for children and families has refused to resign over failings in Herefordshire children's services.

Councillor Felicity Norman told an extraordinary council meeting she would not be resigning her cabinet position after a string of failures were found in the county's children's services provision.

The meeting was called after a judgement found "egregious and long-standing failures" in the county's children's services provision.

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The councillor, who has held her cabinet position for two years and was previously vice-chair of the children and young people scrutiny committee, was asked if she could justify why councillors should not be asking her to resign by Coun Jim Kenyon.

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"I must admit I did consider resigning when this shocking judgement came through," Coun Norman said.

"I have had several weeks to consider this and look at it and my role in it more clearly. I feel resigning is a gesture that will not help the situation in any way.

"What we want is to take positive steps and I am committed to achieving the changes that we all want to see. I want us to go further than that and be an excellent service in the long run, although I appreciate that will take a long time.

"So I will not be resigning, I will be taking part in that."