'I don't do blame' says former social work chief over Baby Peter's death

She told the BBC that she was not into the "blame game" and that social workers could not prevent the deaths of children. But she acknowledged responsibility for failings in her department and said she was sorry that Peter Connelly, who had been seen 60 times by authorities, died in 2007.

On Friday the Court of Appeal ruled that Shoesmith had been sacked unfairly from her job at Haringey Council, north London. Speaking yesterday, Shoesmith said that former children's secretary, Ed Balls, had been "staggeringly irresponsible" in calling for her to be sacked and had left children's social care in "complete disarray". She said: "As a director of children's services I cannot control what the police do, I cannot control what health does.

"I cannot control the fact when a social worker is referring a child for abuse that she rings up and finds that a case has not been allocated to a police officer for four months. I can't control those matters, this is much more complex than saying you are responsible, let's sack you and the whole psyche of the nation will be at peace."

Addressing reports that she could be in line for more than 500,000 compensation, Shoesmith said: "I haven't thought anything about compensation, chief in mind is winning this appeal and then supporting four other people who have also been sacked in social care."

Ms Shoesmith spoke of suffering vilification following the Baby Peter tragedy. "There were things like death threats, there were worries about possibly an arson attack," she said.