SERIOUS criticisms have been levelled at public agencies over the death of a 15-month-old baby who was murdered by his mother's boyfriend.

An independent report said professionals had failed to recognise the potential for harm to baby Charlie Hunt.

The inquiry stopped short of saying the baby's horrific killing could have been prevented, but said there were 'significant lessons that needed to be learned'.

Darren Newton, of Warwick Drive, Earby, is serving a life sentence after being convicted of murder in December for what the judge described as 'inexplicable cruelty'.

Over a number of months Newton used a mobile phone to film himself repeatedly slapping, prodding and kicking the child.

Eventually the child could not take any more abuse. He died from serious brain injuries in November 2009.

The child’s mother, Laura Chapman, had been monitored by Lancashire social services, but Charlie was not classed as ‘at risk’ at the time of his death.

But social workers were withdrawn shortly after Charlie’s birth and visits from the family support service ended the following March, a decision the report called ‘imprudent with hindsight’.

The inquiry, carried out by the Lancashire Safeguarding Children's Board, also found:

• there was a lack of collaboration and information sharing between different agencies in Lancashire and Bradford which were involved in the case.

• Workers had 'over optimism clouding objective judgements' and the report 'identifies the need' to make the child the central focus and not the 'main caregiver'.

• Charlie was admitted to hospital two months before his death, but medics 'missed an opportunity' by not considering abuse as a cause and ordering scans that might have revealed abnormalities and raised questions.

• Although Newton had no previous convictions, the authorities failed to carry out a criminal record bureau check on him.

• While it was 'extremely unlikely' Newton would have been identified as a risk, 'there should have been a more cautious approach to his involvement with the family'.

Ninety-two recommendations were made in the report - 10 for consideration across all agencies, and a further 82, which mainly affect Lancashire and Bradford social services, Airedale Hospital, NHS East Lancashire and West Yorkshire Police.

Many involved staff training and protocols for agencies working together.

In conclusion, the report, which referred to baby Charlie as AB, says: "There was evidence throughout this case of gaps in information sharing and planning between professionals and a failure to recognise the potential for harm to child AB."

Professionals had been ‘overly optimistic’ about the mother’s ability to protect Charlie from harm, given her troubled background, it said, adding: "There were some possibilities that different interventions might have led to a different outcome and the medical assessment of child AB when he was admitted to hospital in September 2009 is seen as a key point in this case.

"Whilst it was not possible to predict that Child AB would have been harmed in the manner it is alleged he was, there are significant and very familiar lessons that need to be learned about how professionals and agencies can work collaboratively to safeguard children.”

After the report's publication, the agencies involved said the recommendations had been reviewed and were being implemented.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “In any case that involves the death of a child it is absolutely vital that all the agencies involved learn lessons so I am pleased to see the recommendations made by this report."