Emma Kelly admitted supplying heroin and crack cocaine to her son

East Sussex County Council said it had sent a confidential letter to Judge Anthony Niblett about the case.

Emma Kelly, 31, formerly of Eastbourne, was jailed last month for nine years for supplying heroin and crack cocaine to her son from the age of nine to 11.

The council said on Thursday it would not divulge the letter's response.

But it said it had a supporting letter from Sussex Police.

This (letter) provides him with additional information which we believe the judge will find helpful East Sussex County Council

Judge Niblett told the county council to respond to his concerns within 14 days.

In a statement it said: "The top priority of any council is to respect and protect the privacy of children in their care, as any parent would do.

"This is a very sensitive and serious case. The child is in our care with a loving family and is thriving. We want that to continue."

"The county council has sent a confidential letter to Judge Niblett, along with a supporting one from Sussex Police, in response to his request for further information.

"This provides him with additional information which we believe the judge will find helpful."

On Wednesday evening, council leader Peter Jones said the document refuted the judge's accusations.

Two councillors told a BBC South East Today correspondent that the authority was angry about his comments.

Emma Kelly's home was scattered with burnt pieces of tin foil

Mr Jones said the report would "absolutely" refute the allegations and added: "What the judge said came as a surprise."

The trial heard Kelly had driven her son around as she toured Sussex and London in search of drugs.

Kelly and the boy were arrested in January 2005 on suspicion of shoplifting and taken to Eastbourne police station.

At that stage, the boy, who was showing symptoms of drugs withdrawal, told police he rarely went to school.

He spent a week in hospital withdrawing from his opiate addiction.

The child, now 12, has since been taken into foster care and is said to be thriving and back at school.

Judge Niblett questioned why social services made no intervention to protect the boy's welfare despite receiving repeated signals that he was being exposed to drug abuse.

After the sentencing, Matt Dunkley of East Sussex County Council, said: "We didn't have sufficient evidence until the point that we did take him into care to enable us to do so."