The Government has announced plans to send a commissioner to Buckinghamshire CC to turn around the authority’s long-failing children’s services.

Ofsted rated the county inadequate in 2014 and again last month, warning that improvement had been ‘inconsistent and too slow’ and that the strategic response to change had been ‘piecemeal’ and unsuccessful.

A report to the council's cabinet today said the Department for Education (DfE) will appoint a commissioner 'in the coming months'.

It read: 'Their task will be to assess the council’s capacity and capability to improve its Children’s Services in a reasonable timeframe.

'Three months after their appointment, they will report to the DfE with a recommendation about the future of children’s services in Buckinghamshire.'

Labour’s local government secretary, Andrew Gwynne, said: 'The failure of another Tory-run council is the result of a perfect storm of chronic underfunding and catastrophic Tory mismanagement.

'This situation cannot be repeated.

'Vulnerable children are at risk whilst the Government turns a blind eye to councils that are being pushed to the brink by Tory austerity.'