A FORMER director of social services at the defunct Hereford and Worcester County Council will be questioned on his allegations a powerful paedophile ring operated in the county.
David Tombs has been asked to give evidence at the next meeting of Worcestershire County Council’s Overview, Scrutiny and Performance Board following concerns from members.
Board chairman Coun Richard Udall made the request following comments in the national media from Mr Tombs, who worked for the authority for 20 years until 1994, regarding his concerns over child protection during the 1990s.
Mr Tombs said following the arrest of former consultant to the National Children’s Bureau and convicted Evesham paedophile Peter Righton, he told the Department of Health he believed a paedophilic network had been in operation in Whitehall, but claimed these warnings had been ignored.
Righton, who died in 2007, was a social work expert and the founder of the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE), before he was convicted of importing child pornography in 1992.
Members of the Scrutiny Board, at the request of Coun Udall have invited both Mr Tombs and the current Worcestershire Director of Children’s Services Gail Quinton to give evidence on September 17.
“Members from across the political spectrum are concerned about what happened in the past and want to ensure no cover-up occurred in Worcestershire.” Coun Udall said.
“If Mr Tombs is willing to share his concerns with us we will be able to have a better understanding about what happened, when it happened and more importantly who knew about it.
“We believe this to be a major concern to the public, we need to know what information is known and no perpetrators have been protected by an establishment cover up in Worcestershire”.
“Hereford and Worcester County Council has ceased to exist, but as a successor authority members of the county council need to know the facts and on behalf of a concerned public need to ask the questions and seek assurances.”
