DAD Jack Barnes is launching legal action against Thurrock Council’s social services for putting his daughter up for adoption after wrongly branding him a terrorist.

The council offered Mr Barnes, 40, and partner Cheryl Rich, 27, £500, which was later increased to £5,000 for causing them “distress”.

The couple, of Goldace,Grays, are nowseeking to draw attention to how the council handled the case through a civil action with Southend solicitors BTMK.

The case will be centred on “wrongdoing” by the council.

The couple’s daughter, Misty, was taken away by Thurrock social services, aged just four weeks, and put up for adoption. She was eventually returned to the couple nine months later.

This week Mr Barnes said he was “disgusted”

with the council’s offers of compensation.

He said: “I think it’s disgusting to be offered money after the damage they have done to my daughter and to my family. They literally ruined our lives.

“Our fight is for the law to be changed because they can’t be allowed to get away with treating families like this.”

Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price also wants justice for the couple. She said: “Jack and Cheryl’s fight is a serious case of maladministration and demands concerted action by Thurrock Council to ensure that social services areworking effectively.”

In a letter to Mr Barnes, Andrew Carter, head of Thurrock social services, said: “It is clear from investigations that the department did makemistakes in relation to your case and I apologise for these errors.”

Authority acted after court fear over ‘harm’

THURROCK Council said a court had decided there was a “significant risk of harm” to the couple’s daughter, so the authority had continued to work closely with the family.

A spokesman told the Gazette: “The council will not discuss issues involving a vulnerable child, but it is important to point out its social care team has been in regular contact with the family.

“The family has been asked to provide a detailed, written complaint, setting out all their issues, so it can be investigated properly by a noncouncil, independent person.

“The fact the court decided there was still significant risk of harm to the child and imposed a supervision order means the council regularly works closely with the whole family – and that it will continue to do so.”

The spokseman confirmed the supervision order was no longer in force and the family’s complaint has been through the council process, and the family’s next step would be through the Local Government Ombudsman.

Another father joins call for inquiry

JACK Barnes is being joined by another dad to demand a public inquiry into Thurrock social services.

Garry Wright’s fight for custody of his son was reported in the Gazette earlier this year. He was offered £750 compensation by Thurrock Council after social services wrongly labelled him a “high risk” and put his son in the care of a convicted criminal who was labelled “low risk”.

Mr Barnes and Mr Wright, 38, met at the Civic Offices in Grays last week to release protest balloons and demand answers.