IN their Hereford Times February 8 Talking Points, Sir Bill Wiggin MP and Rob Thomas MBE drew attention to the lack of progress within Herefordshire children’s services and the appalling price being paid by local families.

The grotesque failings previously highlighted by High Court judges, Panorama, Ofsted, and the independent commission all continue in plain sight. December’s children’s commissioner report said children’s services have barely improved. Many local families and schools think the service is getting worse.

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The council’s chief executive officer, director of children’s services and children’s commissioner are employed to improve the system. Together they pocket about £8,000 a week but none of them seems willing to face the public who pay their wages. These highly paid public servants seem incapable of the “candour” Rob Thomas calls for.

The last two years suggest they are best suited to disguising failure, not dealing with it.

What are your thoughts?

You can send a letter to the editor to have your say by clicking here.

Letters should not exceed 250 words and local issues take precedence.

They need to be honest with themselves and the public and resign.

We do need a public inquiry to understand how things have gone so wrong for so long, despite millions being invested.

But more urgently we need new and competent leaders who will act in the interests of the public.

MAGGIE STEEL

Hereford