Also, a police report of an 11-year-old girl found playing on waste ground was picked up by a health visitor whose records showed the girl's mother suffered from mental health problems.

BBC: New approach to helping troubled children hailed

But he acknowledged social workers from Westminster Council, who made 20 visits to the family home, could not have guessed the extent of cruelty being meted out to the girl as there was "no apparent sign of problems".

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | London | Cruelty missed through 'optimism'