NEIGHBOURS of Osita Onwugbufor have blamed Greenwich Council for failing to act to save his children from neglect and assault.

News Shopper has seen letters to the council dating back to 2000, raising concerns about the boys' wellbeing .

Onwugbufor, of Church Manorway, Abbey Wood, was jailed for four years on Friday, for gouging a "W" into the scalp of his Down's syndrome son, Mezie, then aged eight, and beating him with a belt.

The 47-year-old also assaul-ted another of his three sons.

Several neighbours attended the court case and said they were pleased with the outcome. But they are now deman-ding answers from Greenwich.

As early as 2000 there were letters to the council claiming Mezie was left crying for attention for hours at a time.

Onwugbufor was alleged to have regularly left the boys on their own, padlocking them inside the house.

Over the next four years, until Onwugbufor's arrest, neighbours continued to complain to Greenwich Council about his behaviour and their fears for his children.

They particularly feared for Mezie, who had profound learning difficulties and could not speak.

One neighbour told News Shopper: "Several times I called the police.

"They said they couldn't do anything and told me to contact the council."

Often Mezie was seen standing on the sill of an upstairs window, crying and licking the glass or banging his head.

One neighbour said: "In July 2002, I wrote to Greenwich saying I would hold it responsible if anything untoward happened to the children."

She said in response to neighbours' complaints, council officials visited Onwugbufor's home, but were often turned away.

In June 2002, Greenwich wrote to John Austin MP for Erith and Thamesmead, who had taken up neighbours' concerns.

He was told: "Social services are of the view the children are not being mistreated."

A week before Onwugbufor's arrest, Greenwich was still receiving letters expressing concern for the children.


REACTION TO CLAIM

IN A statement, the council said: "The background to this case is complex and we are bound by respect for the confidentiality of service users to refrain from divulging details.

"Social workers from Greenwich removed the children from the care of their father in June 2004.

"Prior to this, a neighbour had raised concerns on a number of occasions and the council and the police followed up each instance.

"A network of professionals worked closely with the family before the child's removal and supported the mother through her own civil proceedings in respect of this.

"The council has not received any complaint from the children's mother.

"However, child protection practices in Greenwich have been revised in recent years in line with both national requirements and the council's own intention to modernise its services and deliver better outcomes for residents."