Tory MP Tim Loughton has warned plans to give every child in Sussex a unique bar code could be an attempt to introduce ID cards by the "back door".

The East Worthing and Shoreham MP gave a broad welcome to the Government's proposals for protecting vulnerable children.

A Green Paper set out plans to merge social services, education and health services into a single local body to help spot early signs of abuse.

The Children's Trust is to be piloted in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

But the document also unveiled proposals to give every child in England a unique number attached to an electronic file of personal information.

Each will contain the name, address, date of birth, school and GP.

When a child is known to agencies such as education welfare, social services, police, or youth offending teams, the file will carry a flag, giving contact details of the professional dealing with the case.

Mr Loughton, Tory shadow children's minister, said concerns had rightly been expressed over what would happen to the information.

He added: "The security of such information needs to be properly assured and we will need convincing that this is not just another version of ID cards by the back door."

The Government said it wanted to "prevent situations where a child does not receive the help he or she needs because of too rigid an interpretation of the privacy of the child and family".

Attempts to introduce ID cards have been hit by a series of Cabinet rows.