Birmingham City Council Children's Services to get commissioner

Birmingham's heavily criticised Children's Services is to get an external commissioner to oversee the running of the unit.

The department has been rated "inadequate" for the past four years.

The city itself has seen more than 20 investigations into child deaths since 2007, though not all were known to social services.

Children's Minister Edward Timpson said a former health minister, Lord Norman Warner, will be the new commissioner.

The appointment follows a report handed over to ministers last month.