A MERSEYSIDE council is vowing to be more open after it faced allegations it covered up the death of a six-week-old girl.

Sefton Council was lambasted when it emerged elected members had not been told about the tragic death of Toni Watts in 2005.

The first many of them knew about it was when newspapers revealed last month that social workers were being criticised for failing to prevent her death.

One Liberal Democrat cabinet member wrote a blistering online blog post about the lack of briefing.

Now if another serious incident happens, Seftons officers will brief the leader of the council and the cabinet member for childrens services.

Other councillors would only be told if it was agreed it was safe to do so.

But leading councillors today said the move does not go far enough.

Toni was born to drug addict parents Anthony Watts and Joanne Cubbin who had 150 narcotics convictions between them.

Despite individual carers flagging up that she could have been in danger, none of the key agencies got together to remove her from her Bootle home.