Birmingham council's children's head Colin Tucker suspended

Colin Tucker has been suspended from his post

The director of Birmingham's children's social care department has been suspended, the city council has said.

The council confirmed Colin Tucker had been suspended from his post but did not give a reason why.

The council said the suspension was not in connection with the suspicious death of a two-year-old boy in the city on Sunday.

Mr Tucker joined the council in 2009 from neighbouring Sandwell Borough Council.

He joined a department which had been put into special measures for the second time since 2002.

In December 2010, government inspectors listed Birmingham as one of 12 councils across England performing poorly overall in providing children's services.

In July, Ofsted said the council was failing to protect vulnerable children and judged that its capacity to improve was inadequate.