Ofsted has found "serious and widespread failures" in services provided to vulnerable children who need help and protection in Wirral.

An inspection into children's services by the watchdog found evidence of poor practice across a range of areas.

The crisis is made clear in a letter by town hall chief executive Eric Robinson which has been leaked to the Liverpool Echo.

Mr Robinson says council leader Phil Davies has "given me a clear mandate to act and implement the changes required immediately."

He has also authorised investment of £2m in children's care to recruit additional social workers, provide better training, improve management and long-term leadership.

The letter says: "While the final outcome of the inspection will not be with us until next week, it is clear from the initial feedback we have some major challenges to overcome in the coming weeks and months.

"Protecting our most vulnerable children and families is a priority for this authority and nothing else but a first-rate, outstanding service is good enough."

He says Cllr Davies "has made it unequivocally clear - these issues should now be our number one priority."

This has echoes of a former chief executive Jim Wilkie who, after the publication of the devastating Anna Klonowski report into the council's corporate governance in 2011, said: “These findings represent the most significant challenge this council faces."

An improvement board has been set up in response to the evidently damning children's services review “with a clear remit to provide oversight and guidance for a detailed improvement plan.”

A council spokesman said the authority cannot comment until the full report is published next Tuesday.