'NSPCC covered up Climbie failings'

Britain's best-known child protection charity came under fire today after accusations that it attempted a cover-up over serious failings in its dealings with murdered Victoria Climbie.

The NSPCC has been highly vocal in its criticisms of child protection procedures in the wake of Victoria's murder by her great aunt Marie-Therese Kouao and Kouao's boyfriend Carl Manning.

However, today it emerged that its own staff did next to nothing when Haringey social services referred the eight-year-old girl to an NSPCC family centre in north London. The "urgent" referral was made seven months before she died.

According to Radio 4's Today programme, documents that the NSPCC submitted to the public inquiry into Victoria's death were apparently changed to put its conduct in a better light.

Photocopied versions first handed over to Lord Laming's inquiry said her case had been marked for "ongoing" attention, but the originals subsequently unearthed show the file marked "no further action".

Computer records show the changes were made shortly after Victoria's death in February 2000.