A BISPHAM couple whose daughter was taken from them by social workers two years ago expressed their anger this week at the way the case had been handled.

The couple's eldest daughter was temporarily removed from their care after allegations of violence towards the girl, who was then aged eight, were made against her step-father.

She has not yet been returned and the family, who dispute the allegations, still do not know why.

They are also concerned about the conditions that the little girl, who was placed with her father, is now living in.

And they are upset that their two children -- they also have a younger daughter -- have been split up.

The family, who cannot be named in order to protect their daughter's identity, had been for a day out in November 1999 and when they returned to the hostel where they were living they found police and a duty social worker waiting to question them.

"This was the first we had heard of any trouble. It was a total surprise," said the girl's mother.

"The duty social worker checked the children and was happy, there were no marks, nothing."

But she said that the next day two social workers visited Blackpool Social Services and, after calling at her daughter's school, she was taken away from them that day.

She was told that the girl had been placed on the child protection register and that her daughter had been removed for her own safety while social workers made an investigation: "She went to my mum's on the understanding by the social worker that it would be for a couple of days maximum."

But the couple claim that proceedings dragged on and after a couple of weeks arrangements were made for her to go to her father's home.

"Then the two social workers who were in charge of the case disappeared.

"They don't work for Blackpool Social Services any more. It was then supposed to be the long-term team dealing with it, but nobody has been in touch," she said.

The family were concerned that the little girl's father, who lived in a one-bedroomed flat, could not cope with her.

"He didn't even have an oven. She's hardly getting any food and the place always smells. If it's not alcohol it's dog muck," they said.

They said that they informed social services and asked if the emergency team would go round because of the lack of food and the conditions.

But the child's mother claims that she were told by a social worker to prepare a meal and take it round to the child if she was worried.

"We are very concerned about her health. They have kept us in the dark for the past two years. We don't know what's going on. In the beginning I was very accomodating.

"Why couldn't they give the same cooperation to us? We are very angry with social services," she said.

Blackpool social services was rated in the bottom 14 inthe country in Department of Health tables last month. Some of its children's services were marked for urgent investigation.

And a town hall inquiry was due to begin this month into the poor performance of the department's children's services.

David Holroyd, a fieldwork manager for Blackpool Social Services, said that they were aware of the circumstances of the family's case and would be sending a social worker out to talk to the girl's mother.

"The social worker needs to clarify the situation with her. A situation like this can be very complex. It needs somebody to go round and sit with her and untangle all the difficulties," he said.

He said that the case had been closed and was re-opened this month. When asked why the family were unaware of this, he said: "That's something else we need to talk to her about. We need to clarify what was known and what was not known. We need to speak to both parties in this and we need to do that as soon as possible.

"People need to take on board very complex information about what happens next. Until we speak to her the situation remains confused. Somebody will be seeing her as soon as possible."

The girl's mother said: "All I want is for my daughter to come home. We have been fighting for two years to get her back.

"We've had no apology. They've not even said whether they thought the allegations were true or not.

"The've just totally left it. Whose children are going to be next?"