Baby P chief: My dismissal was illegal

THE council chief sacked over the Baby P abuse scandal is claiming ministers acted illegally by firing her.

Sharon Shoesmith, 55, who was dismissed last month for "devastating" failures, is fighting for up to £173,000 compensation.

A 500-page dossier claims both Children's Secretary Ed Balls and Haringey council broke the law by firing her.

Her lawyers say the damning report into the scandal which led to her dismissal was untrue.

Mrs Shoesmith, who is understood to have hired Ken Livingstone's former lawyer Tony Child, refused to apologise or resign from her £110,000 job after 17-month-old Baby P died of abuse while he was on the council's at-risk register.

A source said Mrs Shoesmith had come out "all guns blazing". They added: "[She] is basing her appeal on the grounds that the panel failed to apply the law properly, and failed to check whether the findings of the highly critical report were true."

Baby P died in his cot after suffering 50 injuries. Social workers saw him about 60 times yet he was left with his abusive mother and step-father and their lodger. All three await sentencing.

The verdict on Mrs Shoesmith's compensation hearing is due in a fortnight.