The Government has for the second time rejected a public inquiry into a child neglect case in which three youngsters died.

Last year we revealed shocking details about the neglect of the children and others who were under the control of the same couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

We called for a public inquiry and this plea was taken up in April last year by Brighton and Hove Council even though the Government said it did not think one was necessary.

Brighton's two MPs, David Lepper and Des Turner, recently met social services minister John Hutton.

Council social care director Allan Bowman was also there.

Answering a question from Green councillor Keith Taylor at a council meeting last night, social care cabinet councillor Jean Spray said: "The minister saw no need for a public inquiry."

He considered that the review already carried out by the area child protection committee and other agencies had been thorough.

But he said the council could bring up any issues it wanted that applied generally in the inquiry now ordered by the Government into the shocking death of a young child at Haringey, London.

Coun Spray said: "This is a way of ensuring lessons learned in this case can be taken forward."

Coun Taylor said: "The decision now reached does not pay attention to the resolution of the council and we should have been told before what was happening."