District councillor Nick Rushton has issued an apology for the failings of Leicestershire County Council amid allegations of child abuse against a former MP

The BBC website reports that police investigations into allegations of child abuse against Lord Janner were marred by "a series of failings", a report has found.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said Leicestershire Police officers "shut down" investigations into Lord Janner "without pursuing all inquiries".

It also criticised Leicestershire County Council's "sorry record of failures" over abuse.

The former MP died in December 2015.

Cllr Rushton - the leader of Leicestershire County Council and a North West Leicestershire District Councillor - issued a statement following the report.

He said: "The Council at the time simply did not do enough to keep the children in its care safe and for that, I am sorry.

"The publication underlines that there were failures in the past.

"We fully accept the findings in the report and have supported the inquiry from the outset.

"It has taken immense courage for people to speak out about historic events and I'd like to praise them for their bravery.

"Across the board, our approach to safeguarding has transformed.

"The formal systems in place today, as well as the specialist support provided to our young people and the joint work with the police to help secure convictions, are unrecognisable from those of the past, and IICSA has acknowledged these changes.

"Keeping children safe is one of our most important responsibilities and although no changes are recommended to be implemented immediately, we will study the report carefully.

"We remain committed to hearing and acting on the voice of children and continually improving the support we give to the children in our care."

Leicestershire Police has also issued a full response to the findings HERE.

Professor Alexis Jay, chairman of the inquiry, said police and prosecutors "appeared reluctant to fully investigate" claims against Lord Janner despite "numerous serious allegations".

"On multiple occasions police put too little emphasis on looking for supporting evidence and shut down investigations without pursuing all outstanding inquiries," she said.

"This inquiry has brought up themes we are now extremely familiar with, such as deference to powerful individuals, the barriers to reporting faced by children and the need for institutions to have clear policies and procedures setting out how to respond to allegations of child sexual abuse."

Lord Janner's family has always maintained his innocence.

His son Daniel said the inquiry "fails to challenge our late father's innocence" and "offers no proof whatsoever of guilt".