Probe forces family champion to quit

The boss of a welfare-to-work firm at the centre of police investigations over alleged fraud has quit as the Prime Minister’s “family champion”, she announced.

Emma Harrison said she did not want the probe, which has seen four ex-members of A4e staff arrested, to distract from the government’s efforts to help vulnerable families.

“I have asked to step aside from my voluntary role as family champion as I do not want the current media environment to distract from the very important work with troubled families,” she said in a statement.

David Cameron handed Ms Harrison the unpaid role of getting families back into work in December 2010. Two police investigations are under way after irregularities were referred to the Department for Work and Pensions.