West London orphans left in squalid conditions' by council to save money

"The High Court has ruled that a west London council acted unlawfully and failed an orphaned child by leaving him in squalid conditions in order to avoid the financial burden of taking him on as looked after. While the child lived with his sister, who was also a child, the case was bought on behalf of only one of them. As a result of these tenancy succession laws, the child became a trespasser in his own home."

"After a brief stay with a neighbour, a distant cousin moved in to take care of him and his sister. The arrangement, which was orchestrated by the council, allowed for the cousin and the children to move back into the family home. The council was found to have failed to provide the cousin with legal information required for private foster carers until significantly later in the fostering arrangement. This arrangement was poor, with the cousin being negligent and frequently absent."

"The cousin stopped paying rent to the council, and instead of evicting him or taking the children into care, the council paid the arrears themselves. This was viewed by the court as proof that Hounslow Council was actively providing accommodation to keep this arrangement afloat. In mid-2025, the children were abandoned by their cousin. The home fell into disrepair and the children lived in squalid conditions despite concerns raised by both the children and the numerous social workers."

The High Court found Hounslow Council acted unlawfully and failed an orphaned child by leaving him in squalid conditions while avoiding the financial burden of making him looked after. Tenancy succession rules rendered the child a trespasser in his own home after the case was bought for only his sister. The council orchestrated a return of a distant cousin as a private foster carer but delayed providing required legal information and tolerated negligent caregiving. The council paid the cousin's rent arrears rather than evict or accommodate the children, effectively sustaining the arrangement. The children were later abandoned and endured prolonged squalor despite social workers' concerns.

Read at www.standard.co.uk