Sacked Baby P staff lose unfair dismissal claim

Gillie Christou and Maria Ward claimed they were unjustly fired by Haringey Council in north London in response to the public outcry about the little boy’s horrific death.

But an employment tribunal panel ruled that the local authority acted reasonably in dismissing them because of serious failings in their care of the toddler.

Baby P, Peter Connelly, was just 17 months old when he died in a blood-spattered cot in Tottenham, north London, on August 3 2007.

He had suffered more than 50 injuries despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months.

Ms Ward was Peter’s nominated social worker at Haringey Council from February 2007 until his death, and Mrs Christou was her team manager.