A FORMER Haringey social services manager is facing jail after failing to appear before the inquiry into the tragic death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie.

Carole Baptiste, who was in charge of the investigation and assessment team at the north Tottenham office at the time of Victoria's death, is to appear before magistrates on Wednesday.

If found guilty of breaching a summons to attend a public inquiry under the Local Government Act 1972 Ms Baptiste could face a six-month jail sentence or a £1,000 fine.

The case will be heard at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court in south London.

Inquiry chairman Lord Laming said Ms Baptiste had "exhausted his patience" and told solicitors to take the matter to court after she ignored his summons on Monday.

Ms Baptiste has already been severely criticised during the inquiry in to the eight-year-old's death. A social worker had told how she was more preoccupied with God and her experiences as a black woman than the welfare of vulnerable people.

Lord Laming said: "I am satisfied that we have taken every action available to enable her to give evidence as she is a very important witness. Her behaviour is, to put it mildly, entirely unacceptable.

"Without hesitation of any kind, I instruct that my solicitors lay information before a magistrates court."

The inquiry, which is investigating why Haringey social workers closed Victoria's file in the week before her death, has also condemned them for "drip feeding" important documents at the last minute.

The death of Victoria Climbie last February is one of the worst child abuse cases in British legal history. Her great-aunt, Marie Therese Kouao and lover Carl Manning were jailed for life in January for her murder. Victoria Climbie's body was found to have 128 separate injuries inflicted by her guardians.