A Herefordshire mother who appeared in a BBC Panorama programme exposing failings at the county’s children’s services is now working to help other parents affected.

The programme last month revealed that Herefordshire Council had accused Angeline (we are not using her surname to protect her) of inventing or exaggerating illnesses in two of her children, and sought to take them from her, although she was able to resist this at a family court.

She has now formed a support group who will meet face-to-face for the first time this Friday (June 17) at 11am at Coffee #1 in Leominster, and says she expects to hold regular meetings at this time once a venue has been secured.

“There has been nothing out there for people who are going through this,” she said.

She has also set up a website, A Common Bond (acb.org.in) as well as an accompanying Facebook group, and has begun lobbying senior figures to draw attention to the issue of over-zealous interventions by the department.

She has already met children’s minister Will Quince and the head of Herefordshire Council’s children and young people scrutiny committee Coun Phillip Howells, and is also due to speak to North Herefordshire MP Sir Bill Wiggin.

Angeline also intends to launch a helpline for other parents who believe they have been wronged by the department, and is seeking volunteers to help with this.

And she is helping to organise the demonstration by concerned parents in Leominster on June 30, at which she will speak. Already 400 parents have contacted the demo organisers to register their interest.

Herefordshire Council chief executive Paul Walker said following the Panorama programme that failings at its children’s services went back “over many years” but that improving the department it “is my and this council’s number one priority”.