'I did not destroy Climbie paper'

A social work boss involved in the Victoria Climbie scandal today denied destroying an incriminating document on the child's case file three days after the investigation into her murder had begun.

Angella Mairs, a duty manager at Haringey social services, stands accused by junior colleague Lisa Arthurworrey of tearing up a final file note recommending that the case be closed.

The note had allegedly been signed by Ms Mairs a week before Victoria's death at the hands of her great-aunt Marie-Therese Kouao and Kouao's boyfriend, Carl Manning.

Today, Ms Mairs told the public inquiry into Victoria's death that she had neither closed the file nor removed any document as part of a cover-up. In a written statement she said: "Lisa accuses me of removing the Closure Summary form from Victoria's file. I did not do this. I find it inconceivable Lisa did not tell someone in a position of responsibility that she thought this at the time."

Ms Arthurworrey has alleged she was too scared to blow the whistle on her boss's actions - a claim dismissed by Ms Mairs, who claimed today: "There were several people Lisa could have told."

Ms Mairs is suspended pending a disciplinary hearing over Ms Arthurworrey's accusations. The inquiry has heard from Dawn Green, the senior social work manager who was sent to pick up the file for the council's internal probe, that she had to "more or less demand" it from Ms Mairs that day.

She has told the inquiry that she arrived at the North Tottenham district offices on 28 February last year, to find Ms Mairs and another woman photocopying the file. It was here Ms Arthurworrey claimed to have seen Ms Mairs tear up the case closure note and say: "Let's get rid of this."

Ms Green, who had strict instructions not to let the file be tampered with, said she could not see what Ms Mairs was doing but became suspicious after she took far longer than expected to finish the task.

When she protested Ms Mairs "rudely" told her that she would get the file "when it was ready".

The inquiry continues.