Council apologises over UKIP foster case

The authority conducted a review into the case last November, which involved three eastern European youngsters.

In a statement it said: “We accept the impression left following media interviews on the morning of 24th November was that the removal of the children was solely because of the foster carers’ membership of UKIP and the council apologises for this.”

The council said the children were removed in their ‘best interests’

Foster carers in this case were employed by an agency, and the council added that the agency had been dealt with ‘fairly and in accordance with the agreed arrangements’.

No further details could be released about the case for legal reasons.

UKIP and the foster parents involved in the case did not wish to comment.

Rotherham Council said that membership of UKIP would not have prevented the parents from being foster carers.

At the time of the controversy, the parents said they were told by social workers that their UKIP membership presented ‘safeguarding issues’ because the party had ‘racist’ policies.