A ‘spiralling deficit' in special educational needs services (SEN) is expected to grow to an ‘unmanageable' £1.3bn in just two years' time, county councils have warned.

The County Councils' Network (CCN) said that the deficit – an eightfold increase in five years – is the result of an ‘explosion' of youngsters eligible for education, health and care plans (ECHP) since 2014.