Why was Shannon taken off child risk register?

Social services came under fire today after it was revealed that Shannon Matthews was taken off the child protection register despite fears for her safety.

The role of social services in the girl's life was being scrutinised after her mother's conviction for kidnapping her.

Mother-of-seven Karen Matthews, 33, was condemned by police as "pure evil". Last night allegations emerged that her children had been placed on the protection register then taken off despite concerns about violence in the household.

Her MP Shahid Malik called for an independent review into the actions of local social services.

A BBC documentary team given access to the police investigation said social workers commissioned a psychological report about Matthews highlighting her "inability to place the children's needs above her own" in December 2003 - three years before Shannon went missing.

The Panorama programme said the report concluded: "I believe Karen will require constant monitoring and support throughout the lives of her children."

The documentary alleged that despite concerns about violence the children "were never considered at risk of significant harm".

Claire Wilson, a former neighbour of Matthews, told the programme about terrible conditions at the house next door. She said: "I rang social services because it just got to the stage where I was so concerned about the children.

"But we just kept reporting it and nothing seemed to get done."

Kirklees Social Services said it was limited in what it could say for legal reasons. Alison O'Sullivan, director for children and young people at Kirklees council, said "very important issues concerning the children, the actions and plans of this local authority past, present and proposed will be scrutinised carefully". Matthews was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice along with Michael Donovan.

Matthews conspired with Donovan, 40, her partner's uncle, to keep her nine-year-old daughter imprisoned for 24 days to claim a £50,000 reward.

On 14 March Shannon was discovered in the base of a divan bed in Donovan's flat in Batley Carr, West Yorkshire, less than a mile away from her home. She was found to have traces of the "hypnotic" drug temazepam in her system.