CSA staff told to 'hide' chaos

Staff at the Child Support Agency have been instructed to cover up a failing computer system and even conceal the loss of key case notes from parents.

Amid the chaos, employees have been handed a list of "do's and dont's" which stipulates that if a case vanishes from the computer, the parent should not be informed.

At the top of the list of instructions is the warning to staff "not to blame ministers or the Government".

One civil servant told a newspaper: "The agency is in crisis. Staff want to serve the public and don't have the tools to do it."