Two social workers saw a four-year-old boy with appalling injuries at the home of his adoptive parents.

They made no attempt to rescue John Smith and he died at home on Christmas Eve 1999.

Now the social workers have been sacked by Brighton and Hove City Council after disciplinary hearings.

David Pamely and John Barrow were experienced social workers with extensive workloads and were under stress.

The adoptive parents, Simon and Michelle McWilliam, were a plausible pair who no doubt were able to produce compelling reasons for the injuries.

Unison, the local government workers' union, has previously said it will ballot members for a strike if action is taken against the social workers.

It would be wise to think again. That would be backing social workers who, whatever the circumstances, failed to take action to save a little boy's life.

There is no doubt the McWilliam's are the villains and they are currently serving eight years in jail for cruelty.

But social workers who make serious mistakes cannot expect to escape admonishment any more than anyone else.

They have shown their compassion and sorrow over what happened. Both of them are decent and honourable men.

But how could they have thought anything other than a young boy with such injuries was in desperate need of care?