Members of Haringey's Labour Party held a closed doors emergency meeting this morning, to discuss how the Baby P case was handled

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Pics: The tragic child abuse case of Baby P

MEMBERS of Haringey's Labour Party convened a closed doors emergency meeting this morning.

A spokesman said the meeting aimed to ensure that all councillors were informed and up to date on the case of Baby P.

The meeting was likely to have been in response to mounting pressure in the Baby P tragedy after the Sunday Telegraph report that just nine days before the toddler's death a senior lawyer at Haringey Council advised that the child should not be taken into care.

John Suddaby, head of legal services at Haringey, admitted it was "of concern" that this advice had been given.

Anger is growing among residents at the way in which the tragedy has been handled.

Stuck to the front window of the Hornsey and Wood Green Labour Party head offices is a poster that states: "Sharon Shoesmith you have blood on your hands. Council tax payers of Haringey refuse to pay council tax until Sharon Shoesmith is sacked."

The poster was the work of local resident Stephanie Biber, who said: "Sharon Shoesmith should resign, this is the final straw and I'm just so angry about it all.

"I've written to my bank asking them not to pay council tax to Haringey Council until she has been sacked."

Another tax payer, Con Saunders, 61, said: "I've lived here nearly all my life and I've never known anything like this, it's a disgrace and it's not the first time it's happened.

"You want to know what was being discussed by the councillors this morning? Alibis, they're working on alibis. They all stick together and will wriggle out of this one."

A Labour Party spokesman said later: "This morning the Labour group of Haringey council were further updated on the tragic case of Baby P.

"The purpose of the meeting was solely to ensure councillors were fully informed on all aspects of the case and the review commissioned by central government."

Children's secretary Ed Balls adopted a tough tone to the Baby P affair last night by stressing his "anger" that "crucial interventions" had not been made.

"People are asking how these despicable acts of evil can happen in this day and age and in Haringey of all places," he said.

"As a parent, I found reading the confidential serious case review and the details of the abuse deeply disturbing. It is even more heartbreaking now that we have all seen the photographs of Baby P.

"Like everybody I am angry that crucial interventions to save this little boy were not made.

"Professionals working with children in this country do a tough job in very difficult communities but I will not hesitate to act on the findings of the investigation into what went wrong in Haringey."

More than 60 headteachers yesterday voiced their support for one of the officials at the centre of the row over the toddler's death.

In a joint letter, they insisted Haringey's director of children's services Sharon Shoesmith was an "outstanding public servant" who should not be forced to quit.

Haringey Council is the same local authority heavily criticised for failing to prevent the murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000.

Pics: The tragic child abuse case of Baby P