Council blasted over girl's death

A CHILDREN'S services department has been accused of trying to "spin its way out of it" after admitting a catalogue of "missed opportunities" to save a seven-year-old girl who starved to death.

Khyra Ishaq died in May 2008 following months of starvation and cruelty at the hands of her mother and stepfather at their Birmingham home.

Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, said Birmingham City Council was more concerned with managing press coverage of the case than rectifying its "systemic failings".

He said: "This is the third report over the last year that we have had into Birmingham social services and what it shows continuously is the lack of development."