Blackpool has highest proportion of children under protection plans

Blackpool Council had 157 children per 10,000 under protection plans this year

Blackpool has three times the national average of young people subject to child protection plans, figures show.

The Department for Education report said Blackpool Council had 157 children per 10,000 under protection plans.

Nottingham, Coventry, the Isle of Wight and Salford had the next highest figures between April 2014 and March 2015.

Blackpool councillor John Jones said it is "the most deprived borough in the country".

Mr Jones, cabinet member for children's services, said: "The population is highly transient, posing difficult challenges for our social care services.

"However, Blackpool has worked hard to improve services and to ensure we are able to support as early as possible."

The council's children's services have been criticised twice in three years by Ofsted. A report published in September 2014 said the service "required improvement".

In July 2012, a report found vulnerable children were "left at risk" because social workers did not act quickly enough to help them.

Paige Chivers was murdered after she was groomed for sex by an older man who was jailed earlier this year

High profile murders

Mr Jones said there had been a "positive improvement" in the management of child protection cases.

He said the town had received a £45m share of Lottery funding to develop Blackpool's Better Start, which aims to reduce parental use of drugs and alcohol and address mental health issues and domestic abuse.

Questions were raised over the protection of vulnerable teenagers in Blackpool after the murders of Paige Chivers, reported missing in August 2007 but never found, and Charlene Downes, 14, who disappeared near the town's North Pier on 1 November 2003.

Paige, 15, was killed after being groomed for sex by Robert Ewing, 37 years her senior. He was jailed for life in July, along with Gareth Dewhurst, 46, who was convicted of disposing of her body.

Child protection plans

• A referral is made by a member of the public or a professional to the local authority's child protection team or police

• The child protection team will first assess if the child is at immediate risk of danger

• The plan will detail the risks and the actions needed to keep the child safe

• The plans are designed to protect the most vulnerable children from sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and physical injury

Source: NSPCC

Milton Keynes, Essex, Wokingham, Somerset, Windsor and Bath were among the local authority areas with the lowest proportion of children under protection orders.