A rise in the number of children placed into Bucks care is adding increased pressures on already stretched council budgets, a leading politician has warned.

Demand for Bucks County Council’s (BCC) children’s services is on the rise, as the number of young people in county care has risen from 460 to 480 over the last year.

Cabinet member for children’s services, Warren Whyte, added the nature of the children's cases are becoming more demanding, placing further strain on county budgets.

Speaking at a meeting of BCC's cabinet on Monday morning (May 21), Cllr Whyte said: “Unfortunately the demand not only increases, but the nature of the demand is more challenging, and this is something I find rather distressing when I hear the details of the children who have been taken into care.

“I know that Bucks safeguarding board is taking domestic abuse very seriously at the moment, and that is something we are trying to get to the bottom of to see how we will intervene earlier to avoid these complex and abusive relationships resulting in concerns for children’s safety.”

However Cllr Whyte hopes the pressures will soon be reduced, as last year the council’s cabinet agreed to invest £2 million in providing care for looked after children in the county.

The first home is set to open in Aylesbury imminently, with two planned for High Wycombe – however exact details of the locations are yet to be revealed.