Roselyn Richards: Wrote to Birmingham council

Birmingham City Council received a letter from Roselyn Richards in which she gave permission for Bertram Byfield to look after the seven-year-old girl.

The letter was released by the council the day after officials apologised for failings in their care of Toni-Ann.

They were both gunned down at Byfield's London bedsit in September last year.

Authority condemned

The letter from 32-year-old Ms Richards, who gave up Toni-Ann when she was six months old, is headed with an address in Kingston, Jamaica, and is dated 10 January, 2003.

It says: "I am giving Bertram Byfield permission to take care of my daughter Toni-Ann Byfield in London.

"I am asking you to give Mr Byfield my child. he (sic) is a loving father to is (sic) children."

But earlier this week, Ms Richards released a statement through her solicitor demanding to know "how and why Toni-Ann was with Bertram Byfield, and who was responsible for what happened to her."

When it came to the contact arrangements (regarding Byfield) she was aware of it and she was happy with it A Birmingham City Council spokesman

She condemned the social services team, claiming the tragedy would have been averted had they "done their job properly".

Toni-Ann had been sent to live with a friend of Ms Richards in Britain in June 2002, but in November 2002 Birmingham social services took over her care.

A council spokeswoman said: "Her mum had phone contact with her daughter and her mum was aware of the court proceedings.

"When it came to the contact arrangements (regarding Byfield) she was aware of it and she was happy with it.

"There is correspondence between solicitors and mum had every chance to challenge things."

Asked why the authority did not make the letter public during the inquiry, the spokeswoman replied: "We have to treat each case with the confidentiality it deserves and we cannot just go on the offensive.

"It is also quite clear in the report that there were a number of criticisms of the care process."

Two social services officials involved in Toni-Ann's care have been moved as a result of the inquiry, which uncovered a number of shortcomings.

Detectives believe Byfield, who had served a nine-year sentence for dealing in crack cocaine, was "executed" over a drug debt, while Toni-Ann was murdered to stop her identifying the gunman.