A TOWN which was once at the heart of a national child abuse scandal was yesterday being hailed as a shining example for the world to follow.

Almost 120 children were removed from their parents in Middlesbrough in 1987 after false diagnosis of sexual abuse, but most were subsequently returned to their families.

The Butler-Sloss inquiry into the scandal found the interests of children were placed last in conflicts between police and social service workers with the now defunct Cleveland County Council.

However, yesterday a group of Romanian government officials visited Middlesbrough Council to discover how to improve social services in their own country.

Led by Romania's minister for labour and social solidarity, Razvan Cirica, the nine-member group embarked on a tour of the town, including a visit to the Surestart parent and youngster support centre, in Abingdon Road.

Middlesbrough's commissioner for social care, Councillor Eddie Dryden, said: "Middlesbrough social services has a national reputation for innovation and excellence in childcare and we welcome this opportunity to share our experience and expertise with our European neighbours.

"With regard to poverty reduction issues, I feel that our visitors will be able to analyse the relevance of our anti-poverty strategies with their own which, hopefully, should go some way to maximising the effectiveness of their future social programmes."

Middlesbrough Council took over the responsibility for social services from the disbanded county authority