Parents of children with special educational needs in Bury have launched a protest over lack of council support.

Children who need to have education, health and care plans reviewed every 12 months have been waiting more than two years.

And parents feel their needs have still not been met, with some being allowed to remain out of school for over two years.

Now campaign group Bury SEN Reform has staged a protest about this at Knowsley Place, where the borough's SEN team is based.

The protest was arranged after parents saw similar protests in Birmingham, Bedfordshire and Warwickshire.

Keira Delaney, mother of a child with SEND, said: “Everything for us parents is a fight at the moment, and it shouldn’t be this way - it shouldn’t have to be a fight.

“It hurts me to think of the other parents that are also struggling and there needs to be more government funding and accountability.

“Parents shouldn’t have to go through all this because we all have other commitments.

“Parental blame is absolutely rife and I have heard from so many other parents who are too afraid to speak up because they are scared their child will be removed from school

“They need to know that we are not going to give up, and that this will not just to away. I want to say to all parents in a similar position that we must take a stand and not allow this to go on.”

In July, Bury Council had to pay £3,000 to a vulnerable boy’s parents after an ombudsman found they had failed to provide him with an education for 10 months.

His draft education, health and care plan had failed to meet his needs.

It was said that the boy needed one-to-one support in school, but the council delayed producing the plan, leading to significant mental stress and anxiety for the mother and her son.

In another case, the council was forced to pay £750 in compensation and apologised for ‘systemic poor communication’ after producing an incomplete education plan for a young boy.

Cllr Tamoor Tariq, the borough council's cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We fully accept services for children who have special educational needs and disabilities in Bury have not been as good as they should have been.

“The council and its partners, including schools, the NHS and support organisations, are absolutely committed to improving these services and enabling all children to fulfill their potential.

“We are working closely with parents and carers through their support organisation, Bury2gether so we can hear directly from them and their children about how services can better meet their needs.

“We welcome the challenge and scrutiny parents and carers provide and we will be hosting regular events so we can listen to their views and ideas.

“We have written to all parents to keep them updated on our plans and progress, and invite them to join us and play a crucial role in taking the service forward to make a real difference to so many children and young families.”