Team 'shocked' by Baby Peter unit

Ms Shoesmith says the "witch-hunt" made her suicidal

An Ofsted team acting after Baby Peter died were "shocked" by Haringey's children's department, calling it the "worst ever seen", a court has heard.

A High Court judge, ruling on whether former chief Sharon Shoesmith was unlawfully dismissed, heard from lead inspector Heather Brown.

She said: "What we found was shocking, even for the highly experienced team that worked on the inspection."

Ms Shoesmith, 56, says she was sacked after a "media storm and witch-hunt".

But Tim Ward, also appearing for Ofsted, said it was "wholly unrealistic" for Ms Shoesmith to say she was "somehow oblivious" to her department's failure to protect children.

The cases we raised gave rise to very serious concerns as to whether children were being adequately safeguarded.

Ofsted inspector

"The reality is that as the inspection progressed it must have been abundantly clear to [Ms Shoesmith] just how serious Ofsted's concerns were," he told the court.

The inspection was called after Baby P - who was well known to social services - died with dozens of injuries.

Social workers and a doctor had not raised the alarm or removed him from his abusive home.

Reviews later identified numerous missed chances to spot the abuse - and the Ofsted report highlighted several other cases where at-risk children were not adequately supervised.

But at the time Ms Shoesmith raised no complaints with the damning Ofsted report, the court heard.

'Professional failings'

Ofsted inspector Steve Hart argued Ms Shoesmith had every opportunity to question the report that led to her sacking at the time.

He said: "The seven or eight cases we raised gave rise to very serious concerns as to whether children were being adequately safeguarded.

"In my view, nobody at that meeting can have been in any doubt these demonstrated very significant professional failings and the consequences of those was to leave vulnerable children at risk of harm."

The hearing continues.