AGENCIES in Swindon were criticised for failing to properly investigate a claw hammer attack at Ridgeway School at London’s High Court yesterday.

The multi-agency Swindon Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) has only completed a limited part of a serious case review into the January 2007 attack on Henry by a group of Asian boys.

The LSCB blamed Ridgeway School for the delay in completing the investigation.

It said the Wroughton secondary would not give evidence until after a civil compensation claim by the attack’s victim Henry Webster and his family had finished.

The court heard the LSCB feared there was a risk that Mr Webster’s evidence to a review might be ‘shaded’ because of his case for damages.

Lord Brennan QC, appearing for Mr Webster, asked Mr Justice Kenneth Parker to declare the board’s approach as “wrong in law”.

He said the LSCB should have decided on an immediate and thorough investigation – dubbed option 2 – instead of a phased approach.

He said: “There appears to be no reason why option 2 was not adopted. It is simply unreasoned and it has failed.

“There is no guidance which justifies the actions of the board in this case.”

Lord Brennan said there were lessons to be learned from the incident both nationally and in Swindon.

“One can hardly imagine a more serious set of circumstances – it involved inter-racial tensions producing violence,” he said.

“The lessons to be learned are of the greatest public importance."

Tacey Cronin, representing the LSCB, said the board considered the possibility of witness statements being contaminated because of the case for damages against the school. She said the school had told the LSCB it had received legal advice not to give evidence in a review.

She continued: “If a member of staff in the school was asked in evidence during the review what could have prevented this – he or she will know this could be picked up and used as evidence in the civil proceedings.”

She also said the school’s insurer would have advised against Ridgeway giving evidence for a serious case review. She said: “It is likely the insurer would say: ‘hold on don’t get involved in talking to anyone else.’ Ms Cronin said the LSCB's executive summary of the review of the attack so far is expected to be published on November 3, but may be withheld until the entire review is finished. The judge reserved judgment and said he hoped to give his decision later this week.