Letter: It's just too easy to slag off social workers

WHO KNOWS why the Lawrences were refused a child for adoption? I don't and nor does Lynn Barber ('Save us from the men in sandals', 11 July). It's easy to knock one side in an argument when they are unable to respond. Social work departments cannot discuss individual cases, unlike Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, who was quite prepared to justify his decision to deport a man to Northern Ireland by accusing him of being a terrorist, despite the fact that the police had failed to find any such evidence which they could bring before a court.

Social workers cannot - quite rightly - answer accusations from the media on particular cases, and this makes them easy targets. Lynn Barber should have used her critical faculties before jumping on the bandwagon to attack social workers. For all she knows, the bearded and sandal- wearing man she criticises might have recommended the Lawrences as suitable potential adoptive parents only to be overruled by a council committee rejecting his findings.

After all, Tory-voting Norfolk is hardly likely to be dominated by a trendy lefty ethos.

Scarlett MccGwire

London N4