Hunt on as foreign children found in the back of a lorry in Shrewsbury go missing
Six of the 10 foreign children being cared for by Shropshire Council after being found in the back of a lorry have since gone missing, it has been revealed.
The children were discovered in the back of a lorry in Battlefield, Shrewsbury, in March, along with six adults who were handed into the care of Home Office immigration enforcement.
Missing persons investigations are now ongoing to find the children.
Emily Cleland, spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, said the force was currently making efforts to find the children.
She said: “West Mercia Police was called to a report that a group of people had been found in the back of a lorry in Battlefield, Shrewsbury, at 6.30pm on March 11.
“It was reported that there were 16 people in the lorry, 10 children and six adults.
“Officers attended the scene, the adults were handed into the care of Home Office immigration enforcement and the children placed with social services.
“Six of the children have subsequently gone missing and there are missing persons investigations ongoing to locate them.”
Sarah Nevins, spokeswoman for the Home Office, said: “Immigration Enforcement was contacted by West Mercia Police on March 11, 2017, after police officers attended an incident in Battlefield, Shrewsbury. Their cases are being progressed in line with the immigration rules.”
Shropshire Council’s leader Peter Nutting has previously said that the unforeseen situation has cost the council more than £1 million and is one of the reasons why the council needs to save an extra £5 million by the end of this financial year.
The overspend forecast by the end of this financial year in children’s services alone is predicted to be £3.9 million, unless changes are made. Central Government funds a proportion of the costs of caring for the children through a weekly value based on the child’s age.
Previously the council has managed to fund the costs with the grant funding available but due to what it says are “complex safeguarding needs” and “high flight risks” there has been a need to place some children in high cost placements that are not fully funded, placing a pressure on the service.
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: “Children’s safety will always be the key priority for us although it also needs to be recognised that the cost to the local authority to accommodate such placements considerably outweighs the amount we receive from central government.
“We do feel that the Government should review its budget allocation to children’s services in local authorities.”
Last week the council’s cabinet voted for a spending freeze to tackle the predicted £5 million overspend for all services, which could be reduced to about £400,000.
