A COUNCIL criticised last year for not visiting 'at risk' children was today attacked for not publishing information about its work with vulnerable youngsters.

Performance indicators last September revealed that just 11 per cent of the 213 children on Lancashire County Council's Child Protection Register were being visited at least once every six weeks during 2000/01.

Youngsters on the register are among the most vulnerable in Lancashire. Regular visits are essential to ensure they are not abused or do not need to go into county care.

The statistics -- criticised by MPs, children's charity Childline and child abuse victims -- prompted councillors and officers pledged things would improve.

But when the latest list of performance statistics were presented to councillors for 2001/02 there were no new figures for child protection.

County Councillor Chris Cheetham, in charge of social services, said the Audit Commission, which requests the performance figures, had ditched the statistic.

MPs and councillors said it would have been wise for the authority to have produced the statistics regardless of whether the Government wanted them.

The only indication of how children on the Child Protection Register are being looked after came in other statistics which showed that around 95 per cent of youngsters were being visited on time for six month reviews.

But a report from the Social Services Inspectorate said that, over the last year, the number of cases being reviewed on time had deteriorated over the year.

Coun Cheetham said: "Improvements have been made since the performance indicators were published last year.

"But the Audit Commission has told us they do not require figures from us any more for this indicator. They do this from time to time and have said they feel there are more reliable indicators on which to judge our service."

Pauline Oliver, director of social services at the council, said: "The sample we used was very small for this statistic and even if we were a day late reviewing a case, it was counted as not being done on time.

"Also, there were cases where reviews had not been recorded even though they had taken place."

Coun David Whipp, leader of Lib Dems, said: "How can people possibly be reassured that things have improved if the council won't release new figures?"

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "This is absolute arrogance on the part of the county council.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "In the interests of open government, it would be very good if these figures were produced."

A spokesman for Childline said: "It is important children at risk have regular contact with someone they can trust."

Bernadette Rogers, of Samlesbury, was raped as a child and was among those who criticised Lancashire County Council last year. She said: "There are children involved in this, and those children are already said to be at risk."